Posted on November 29, 2016
Four persons are missing and two others were saved after a barge capsized near Pulau Bruit at the Rajang river mouth in stormy weather on Saturday night.
The missing crew members are skipper Pawi Nyawan, 50, crane operator identified as only Kamal in his 30s, Angga Wahyudi, 24, and Kamal’s wife Mira. The two survivors are another crane operator Melvin Francis, 20, and deckhand Kenny Clement, 18. Melvin and Kenny saved themselves by climbing up the overturned hull of the barge. They were rescued at daybreak yesterday by fishermen passing by.
The fishermen brought them to another barge belonging to the company they are working for that was at the river mouth dredging sand. A report was lodged by the dredging company thereafter.
The Fire and Rescue Department in Sungai Merah here received the SOS at 8.33am yesterday and dispatched a team to the scene.
The Search and Rescue Team called off the operation in the afternoon due to the stormy weather and choppy waters.
A spokesman of the Fire and Rescue Department said the sunken barge named Jin Fiat measuring 60 by 140 feet and loaded with gravel had arrived at Pulau Bruit from Kuching at 3pm on Saturday. It was moored in mid-stream near the island and was waiting to unload its gravel onto a smaller craft on Sunday.
The barge belonged to a construction company that is constructing a road in the island.
The gravel was for the project.
According to the worker who lodged the report, before the capsize at 10pm, they had noticed their barge was listing.
They tried to throw out the gravel, but, the boat capsized within minutes.
The company also sent out a team yesterday morning to help in the search and rescue operation.
They located the site of the tragedy but failed to find the missing four.
The search and rescue team will resume its operation Monday.
Source: Borneo Post
