SIBU: An Indonesian shipyard worker is feared to have drowned after he slipped and fell into the Rajang River in Jalan Ulu Lanang here.
Sibu OCPD, Asst Comm Stanley Jonathan Ringgit said the 32-year-old victim known as Agus Toni who is from Biltar, Jawa Timur in Indonesia was last seen at 3pm on Wednesday (May 15) in a vessel.
“We received a distress call after his colleague failed to locate him when the vessel had berthed at the jetty,” he said.
ACP Stanley added that a search and rescue operation (SAR) which comprised of the marine police, Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba) and Civil Defence Force was launched.
“The search is still on as we have yet to locate the victim. Based on initial investigation, there was no foul play involved.
“We have classified the case as missing person,” he added.
The number of fatalities in the nation shipbuilding industry continues to rise.
On April 17 during the launching of a seminar on Generic Hierarchy for Shipbuilding Sector under Compliance programme support, state Department of Safety and Health (Dosh) vice director for occupational health Saiful Azhar Mohd Said confirmed that that nine deaths have been reported in the country for this year.
Out of that number, four of them were in Sibu and were foreigners. Three of the four died in confined space within the working area while the other fell from height.
