SRI AMAN: There was no vehicle behind the ill-fated four-wheel-drive (4WD) when it rolled off the Triso ferry point ramp and plunged into the Batang Lupar here on Friday, according to a guard at the jetty.
Lihi@Lehi Chali, 60, said the 4WD 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 40 metres 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 4WD was in the water for about 40 minutes, as residents of the nearby village frantically tried to save the victims.
According to Lihi, a week earlier a van had hit part of the ramp 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 entering and exiting the ferry.
Car drivers and their passengers generally followed the instructions of the guards and the ferry operations was smooth.
However, work on erecting guard rails at the ramp has yet to start.
Deputy Chief Minister II and state Infrastructure and Port Minister Tan Sri Dr James Masing had on Saturday announced that guard railings would be installed at all ferry ramps in the state to improve safety. – Bernama
