Langkawi ferry runs aground off Kuala Perlis, all 251 passengers evacuated

251 passengers and 10 crew members were safely evacuated after the Express Bahagia 98 ferry ran aground near Kuala Perlis Ferry Terminal.

The evacuation was assisted by security teams and relevant agencies, following failed attempts to tow the ferry due to falling sea levels.

The ferry ran aground while trying to avoid a fishing net, with efforts to refloat it planned for when the sea level rises.

KANGAR, Oct 21 — A total of 251 passengers aboard the Express Bahagia 98 (EB98) ferry from Langkawi, which ran aground on a sandbank near the entrance to the Kuala Perlis Passenger Ferry Terminal this morning, were safely evacuated at 2.50 pm today.

Langkawi Ferry Line Ventures Sdn Bhd Operations Manager Lt Cmdr (R) Norhafiz Abdul Wahid said all passengers, together with their luggage, were successfully evacuated with the assistance of security teams and relevant agencies, while all 10 crew members were also reported safe.

“The evacuation operation was carried out in collaboration with the Kuala Perlis Marine Police, the Kuala Perlis Fishermen’s Association and Sea Splash Travel Sdn Bhd after two initial attempts to tow the ferry using Feri Kenangan 6 and Langkawi Auto Express 1 failed due to the falling sea level,” he said in a statement today.

Norhafiz said the EB98 ferry departed Langkawi at 9.30am before running aground at about 10.35am near Buoy No 1 in Kuala Perlis, when the captain took evasive action to avoid a fishing net stretched across the inbound and outbound shipping channel at Kuala Perlis.

“When the manoeuvre was carried out, both of the ferry’s main engines were stopped before wind conditions caused the vessel to drift onto the sandbank,” he said, adding that efforts to refloat the ferry were scheduled for around 7pm today, when the sea level was expected to rise again.

The operation was planned with the assistance of fishing boats and would depend on tidal conditions and the prevailing circumstances to ensure it could be carried out safely.

Norhafiz said Langkawi Ferry Line Ventures also apologised to passengers and other affected parties for the inconvenience and travel disruptions caused by the incident. — Bernama

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Express Bahagia 98 号渡轮在瓜拉玻璃市渡轮码头附近搁浅后，船上 251 名乘客和 10 名船员安全撤离。

由于海平面下降，拖曳渡轮的尝试失败后，安全部队和相关机构协助进行了疏散。

渡轮在试图避开渔网时搁浅，计划在海平面上升时进行重新浮起的作业。

加央，10 月 21 日讯——今天上午，从兰卡威出发的 Express Bahagia 98 (EB98) 渡轮在瓜拉玻璃市客运渡轮码头入口附近的沙洲搁浅，船上 251 名乘客已于今天下午 2 点 50 分安全撤离。

兰卡威渡轮航线有限公司运营经理（退役）海军中校诺哈菲兹·阿卜杜勒·瓦希德表示，在安保团队和相关机构的协助下，所有乘客及其行李均已成功疏散，据报道，所有 10 名船员也安全无恙。

“由于海平面下降，最初两次尝试使用 Feri Kenangan 6 和 Langkawi Auto Express 1 拖曳渡轮均告失败后，我们与瓜拉玻璃市水警、瓜拉玻璃市渔民协会和 Sea Splash Travel Sdn Bhd 合作开展了此次疏散行动。”他今天在一份声明中说。

Norhafiz表示，EB98渡轮于上午9点30分从兰卡威出发，大约在上午10点35分在瓜拉玻璃市1号浮标附近搁浅。当时，船长为了避开横跨瓜拉玻璃市进出港航道的渔网，采取了规避措施。

他说：“在进行操作时，渡轮的两台主发动机都在风力导致船只漂到沙洲之前停止运转。”他还补充说，计划在今天晚上7点左右进行渡轮重新浮起的工作，届时预计海平面将再次上升。

此次行动是在渔船的协助下进行的，并将取决于潮汐条件和当时的实际情况，以确保行动能够安全进行。

诺哈菲兹表示，兰卡威渡轮公司也就此次事件给乘客和其他受影响方带来的不便和出行中断表示歉意。——马新社

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