SIBU: An express boat carrying 12 people ran aground on a sandbar in the Rajang River today, apparently due to poor visibility caused by the haze and mist as well as low water level because of the drought.
The passengers in the boat, which was travelling from Sibu to Kapit, were uninjured in the incident which happened at 6.15am, according to a spokesman of the Sarawak Rivers Board contacted by Bernama over WhatsApp.
Alexson Banyah, who uploaded the news on his Facebook account, claimed that the skipper was unable to see where the boat was going.
The Sarawak Rivers Board spokesman did not rule out the possibility that the haze and the low water level caused the accident.
“We will know the actual reason once the skipper provides the information,” he said. He did not identify the location of the accident.
A passing boat helped to drag the grounded passenger boat off the sandbar and it then continued on its trip to Kapit. — Bernama
