Eyewitness: Passengers onboard had no life vests
TATAU: An eyewitness of the express boat disaster here saw passengers climb out of the sinking vessel without any life vests .
Logging camp worker Patrick Eming Ubit, 35, was in his quarters just next to the river when he heard screams from the river.
“I ran to the river bank and saw the express boat partly underwater. There were men, women and children trying to crawl out and some of them were struggling to stay afloat. They had no life vests.
“I shouted to the other workers to help and some of the people on board the barge (which the express boat had crashed into) started throwing lifebuoys to the people in the water. Some of us jumped in and swam towards the people to pull them to shore.
“A baby girl was still alive when we pulled her to the bank, but she stopped breathing after five minutes,’’ Eming said.
He said the middle of the river was very deep and the place where the incident happened was at a sharp bend where the current was strong.
Eming said those who managed to swim ashore were mainly adults, while others were pulled out of the river by camp workers and villagers. There were 17 survivors.
He added this was the worst boat tragedy along the river, a vital route linking the interior with Bintulu.
More on: http://thestar.com.my/news/
Credits to and source taken from: http://thestar.com.my/news/
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