KANOWIT (March 24): Two passenger boats, known among the locals as ‘Pasen’ berthing at Kanowit Jetty here, sank early Sunday after the jetty had collapsed due to the floods.

Kanowit District police chief DSP Junical Ujal said the incident occurred at 4.50am.

“Initial investigations indicated that the jetty had collapsed and sunk, bringing along the two boats tied to the structure down,” he said when contacted today.

Junical said bad weather was identified as the main cause of the incident, and initial investigations found that there were no problems pertaining to the jetty structure before the floods struck.

“The jetty structure was found to be safe to use. The Sarawak Rivers Board (SRB) also carried out periodic inspections and maintenance of the pontoons,” he added.

Junical also said the police had always been working closely with the SRB in ensuring the safety of those using rivers, as well as compliance with the standard operating procedures (SOP) for passenger boats.

“The police and the board will continue to monitor safety at the passenger terminal jetty and other jetties along the Kanowit River to prevent such incidents from recurring,” he said.

Junical then advised longhouse villagers and other residents commuting using the ‘Pasen’, especially the SMK Sedaya students, to use land transport pending the resumption of the boat service.

“The people using river transport must be careful, particularly during bad weather conditions.

“The public is advised not to carry out any activities in the river or use boats during heavy rain and high tides, for their own safety.”

No casualties were reported in the Sunday incident, as the boats were not in operation.

The boats – named ‘Seri Pasin’ and ‘Pasen 85’, able to accommodate 12 and 36 passengers, respectively – were the main transport means connecting Kanowit town and Jalan Nibong Tada crossing Sungai Rajang.