One killed, 6 injured after boat capsizes in Kuala Besut

BESUT: A Universiti Malaysia Sabah ( UMS) student was killed while six others, including a skipper, were injured when their boat capsized near Kuala Besut at about 12.15pm yesterday.

The victim, identified as Nurhasibah Husna Ibrahim, 21, was from Kampung Alor Pasir, Jalan Kota Bahru, Pasir Putih, Kelantan.

Besut district police chief, Supt Mohd Zamri Mohd Rowi said the injured passengers were Auni Atirah Ramli and Abdu Aziz Romeli, both from the Kota Bharu Mara Poly-Tech College, Nooratitah Che Hassan from Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) Machang, Nur Shafira Jali from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia ( UTM), organiser’s employee Azmi Mohamed and boat skipper Azizi Mohamad. All injured were rushed to the Besut Hospital for further treatment.

Mohd Zamri said the incident occurred when the boat, ferrying 14 students and academic staff from various higher learning institutions, was experiencing technical failure near Pulau Rhu and capsized, trapping the victims and other passengers underneath.

The group was returning to the mainland from Pulau Perhentian, as part of the Kelantan Graduates Assembly (Himsak) on the island yesterday.

“Initial investigations found that all the passengers on board were wearing life jackets and most of those who are injured, suffered cuts and swelling,” he told reporters here yesterday.

He said 60 students from various higher education institutions attended the Himsak at the Universiti Malaysia Kelantan (UMK) and had traveled to several islands off the coast of Terengganu, including Pulau Perhentian for leadership training sessions. — Bernama