Published: Tuesday May 28, 2013 MYT 1:18:00 PM

Updated: Tuesday May 28, 2013 MYT 4:03:41 PM

 

Passengers missing after express boat capsizes in Rajang River (Updated)

By RAYNORE MERING

Location of the incident (marked in black).
 

BELAGA: A number of passengers are still missing while others managed to swim to safety in the

express boat sinking accident which occurred near here between 8.30am and 9.00am Tuesday. No official figures are available so far.

Kapit district council Betek Lahang, when contacted, said the police and other related government departments assisted by timber camps, oil palm and timber plantation officials were still trying to work out the actual figures.

It is learnt that Belaga District Officer Abdul Halim Abdullah, accompanied by Hulu Rajang MP Wilson Ugak Kumbong and Belaga state assemblyman Liwan Lagang, were on their way to the scene of the incident.

The express boat was extremely packed with timber camp, oil palm and timber plantation workers returning home for the Gawai Dayak festival this weekend, according to Betek.

Tragic incident: A photo of the overturned boat taken by Liwan. 
 

 He added it was on its way to Kapit and Sibu when it crashed onto rock in the Rajang River after about 40 minutes of leaving Belaga town.

He said police and medical teams were at the scene now doing search and rescue operations. - Bernama

Earlier, it was reported that Liwan had spotted the overturned vessel and people swimming away from it towards the riverbank when he was flying by helicopter to Kuching.

He immediately landed at Uma Tevok Long Buyun where he met the survivors and organised a rescue.

He said it was not immediately known if there were any fatalities and what had caused the boat to capsize.

"We haven't done a head count.

"But according to those who swam to safety, there are people trapped in the boat," Liwan said when contacted.

BERNAMA reported Kapit district councillor Daniel Levoh saying that the boat was believed to have carried more than 100 passengers, although its official load capacity was for 67 seated passengers.

"The boat was supposed to have made the normal transit stop at Belaga but it did not do so as it was already packed.

On dry land: Some of the survivors who swam ashore looking
out at the overturned vessel. 

"Many passengers were seen sitting on its roof which is not allowed.

 "There were more passengers waiting for it at the Belaga wharf so that was why it only stopped in midriver to allow crew members to buy food for the journey to Kapit and Sibu," he said.

Daniel said he had received information that a pregnant woman was the only casualty in the incident but this had yet to be verified by the police, who were still at the scene.

 

The Star online  Tuesday28 May,2013.