Smoke billowing from engine compartment, says passenger

LANGKAWI: “About 10 minutes after departing, the ferry stopped in the middle of the sea and we saw smoke from the engine compartment filling up the passenger area.”

That was the harrowing tale shared by Nor Atiqah Norman Shah, of Melaka, who was rescued after the ferry taking passengers from the Kuah Ferry Terminal to Kuala Perlis caught fire yesterday evening.

She said passengers saw three crew members running from the engine section to go up and meet the ferry’s captain.

“Three times I asked them why the engine compartment was filled with smoke, but they ignored me.

“Then, the passenger area on the left side and near to the engine section caught fire. The whole compartment was filled with smoke and that was when we were all ordered to go to the front and exit the ferry,” she told Bernama at the Kuah Ferry Terminal here.

Nor Atiqah said she, her eight family members and other passengers then started scrambling to save themselves.

“Some had time to wear life jackets, some didn’t. We were then transferred to two fishing boats and a tourist boat which had rushed to our rescue,” said Nor Atiqah, who works with a private firm in Gelang Patah, Johor.

Nor Atiqah and her family, who have been here since Saturday for holiday, said all their bags and purchases went up in smoke.

Meanwhile, Suhidah Suib said the whole thing happened so fast that she too did not have time to save any of her belongings.

“The moment the ferry left the terminal, there was already a strong smell of fuel. Then the ferry stopped and it seemed like it was going to go back to the Kuah terminal.