SRI AMAN – There was no vehicle behind the ill-fated four-wheel drive when it rolled off the Triso ferry point platform and plunged into Sg Batang Lupar here on Friday, according to a guard at the jetty.
Lihi @ Lehi Chali, 60, said the car suddenly slid down the ramp and plunged into the river, killing all nine people in the vehicle.
“At that time, there was no ferry on the Meludam side (of the river) because a ferry had departed earlier and was already far away, while the one approaching was still some 40m from the jetty,” he told Bernama today.
The Triso ferry connects Meludam, where the accident happened, and Sebuyau on the other side of the river bank.
He said the vehicle was in the water for about 40 minutes as residents of the nearby village frantically tried to save the victims.
According to Lihi, a van had hit part of the ramp a week ago when boarding the ferry, but there were no casualties.
A Bernama check at the Triso ferry point today showed that repair works were being carried out on the guard post while guards were directing the movements of passengers and vehicles embarking and disembarking the ferry.
Car drivers and their passengers generally followed the instructions of the guards, and the ferry operation was smooth.
However, work on erecting guard rails at the platform has yet to start.
Deputy Chief Minister II and state Infrastructure and Port Development Minister Tan Sri Dr James Masing had on Saturday announced that guard railings would be installed at all jetty platforms in the state to improve safety. – Bernama, January 4, 2021
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