ALOR SETAR, Oct 23 — More than 500 passengers and crew were stranded after a ferry travelling from Kuah, Langkawi to the Kuala Kedah Jetty Terminal ran aground on a mud bank nearby due to low tide.
Ferry Line Ventures Sdn Bhd Consortium human resource and operations manager, Capt Baharin Baharom said the ferry that left the terminal at Langkawi for Kuala Kedah at 1 pm was carrying 545 passengers and eight crew.
“The ferry ran aground in the Kuala Kedah shipping lane at about 3pm. We are now waiting for a report from the ferry captain because at the time of the incident, the sea water was 1.7 metres deep and still safe for navigation.
“A preliminary assessment found that many factors could have caused the ferry to run aground, among which, the ferry not following the original route or that the ferry route was blocked by sea movement at the time,” he said when contacted by Bernama today.
Meanwhile, assistant director of the operations division at the Kedah Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM), Senior Fire Superintendent I Mohamadul Ehsan Mohd Zain said high tide was expected to start at 7pm and the full tide to occur at 11.30 pm.
He said they received an emergency call on the incident at 4.55 pm.
“We ordered a team from the Jalan Raja station to the scene. The ferry got stuck on a mud bank due to low tide.
”Firefighters, the Marine Department personnel and local fishermen are monitoring the situation and are on alert for any further development,” he said.
— Bernama
