79 passengers rescued after ferry catches fire near Pulau Bidong
KUALA TERENGGANU - Seventy-nine passengers and crew members escaped unhurt after a fire erupted on a ferry heading towards the Taman Tamadun Islam (TTI) jetty here this afternoon.
Terengganu Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) director, Maritime Captain Mohd Khairulanuar Abd Majid, said the agency received a report regarding the incident from the Maritime Rescue Sub Centre in Kuantan, Pahang at about 3pm.
"The ferry is believed to be travelling from Pulau Redang towards the TTI jetty before it caught fire near Pulau Bidong.
"Two MMEA assets were deployed to the scene,” he told Bernama when contacted.
Mohd Khairulanuar said all the victims involved were safely transferred to the TTI jetty.
"The flames had spread to the entire ferry, leaving it totally destroyed. The cause of the fire is still under investigation,” he said.
Several video clips of the incident also went viral on social media, and netizens claimed that the smoke from the fire was visible a few kilometres from the scene. - BERNAMA
