langkawi

Ferry trapped in sandbank earlier continues journey to Langkawi tonight

KUALA PERLIS: A ferry that ran aground after hitting a sandbank while carrying 567 passengers from Kuala Perlis to Langkawi at 2.30pm today, safely continued the trip to Langkawi tonight.

Langkawi Ferry Line Ventures Sdn Bhd General Manager (Captain) Dr Baharin Baharom said the passenger ferry was able to move after being successfully towed by a tugboat and the condition of the ferry was also deemed safe to continue its journey to Langkawi at 9.05pm.

“When the tugboat was trying to tow the ferry it was already high tide and all the passengers were in good condition. No one experienced any shortness of breath. We even gave food and drinks to the passengers,” he said in a statement tonight.

Bernama had earlier reported that a ferry carrying 567 passengers from Kuala Perlis to Langkawi was trapped and stranded after hitting a sandbar due to strong winds at 0.5 nautical miles from Kuala Perlis today.

Baharin said the ferry was pushed towards the sandbank by strong winds after about 15 minutes of departure from the Kuala Perlis Jetty.

He said three ferry journeys from Langkawi to Kuala Perlis tonight at 8pm, 8.05pm and 8.30pm continued as usual involving a total of 1,547 passengers.

“Likewise the ferry journeys from Langkawi to Kuala Kedah, Kedah at 7.30pm and 7.35pm this evening which carried 1,300 passengers in total was also successfully moved to Kuala Kedah,” he said.

Meanwhile, Kuala Perlis Maritime Zone director Commander (Maritime) Mohd Hashim Mat Zain said officers together with the Perkasa 1240 vessel were mobilised to the scene of the incident to provide assistance and monitor the situation at 5.30 this afternoon.

“All passengers are safe and there were no casualties,” he said.