A Penang ferry travelling from the island to the mainland collided with another vessel on Tuesday night, leaving six of its 92 passengers injured.
According to The Star, the incident occurred at around 8.35pm while the ferry was heading towards Butterworth.
An unidentified passenger said the ferry had departed from the island at about 8.30pm before the collision occurred several minutes later.
“The impact was quite strong, causing several motorcycles on the ferry to topple over.
“Several passengers also suffered minor injuries, but the ferry continued its journey to the mainland,” the passenger told The Star.
The passenger said that after reaching Butterworth, the ferry turned around and used a rear route to allow passengers to disembark. Police and ambulances were also present when the ferry arrived at the mainland terminal.
Meanwhile, Penang Fire and Rescue Department assistant director of the Fire and Rescue Operations Division, John Sagun Francis, said the incident involved the Teluk Bahang ferry and another vessel in waters near the Penang Sentral Ferry Terminal in Butterworth.
He said a total of 92 passengers were involved, with six sustaining injuries.
“The six injured victims were sent to hospital by Penang Port ambulances and ambulances from external agencies,” he said.
The Butterworth Fire and Rescue Station received an emergency call at 9.58pm and arrived at the scene at approximately 10.07pm.
The situation at the terminal was subsequently reported to be calm and under control after all injured passengers had been taken to hospital, while the remaining passengers dispersed from the area.
