261 rescued after Langkawi ferry runs aground

LANGKAWI: All 251 passengers and 10 crew members aboard the Express Bahagia 98 ferry were safely evacuated after the vessel ran aground on a sandbar near the Kuala Perlis Passenger Jetty Terminal.

Consortium Ferry Line Ventures Sdn Bhd operations manager Lieutenant Commander Norhafiz Abdul Wahid said the ferry departed Langkawi at 9.30am and became stranded near Buoy No. 1 while approaching Kuala Perlis at 10.35am.

The incident is believed to have occurred when the captain tried to avoid fishing nets stretched across the navigation channel. Both main engines stopped during the manoeuvre, and strong winds pushed the vessel towards the sandbar, Norhafiz said.

Initial attempts to tow the ferry using Feri Kenangan 6 and the Langkawi Auto Express 1 roll-on/roll-off ferry failed because of the receding tide, he said.

The evacuation was carried out using boats from the Marine Police, the Kuala Perlis Fishermen Association and a private company.

All 251 passengers and their luggage were safely transferred to the jetty by about 2.50pm, after the ferry had been stranded for about four hours and 15 minutes, Norhafiz said.