Flashback #Star50: Jetty collapse deaths a harsh lesson in human negligence

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Fatal wait: Passengers were jostling to board the Pulau Langkawi ferry when the platform gave way, crushing the motorists and motorcyclists below.Fatal wait: Passengers had been jostling to board the Pulau Langkawi ferry when the platform gave approach, crushing the motorists and motorcyclists beneath.

IT was a stunning, sunny Sunday morning in Butterworth and July 31, 1988, was to be a very special occasion for Penang.

The Buddhist Guan Yin (Goddess of Mercy) pageant was happening in George Town on the island, with the annual St Anne’s Feast being celebrated in Bukit Mertajam on the mainland.

The Guan Yin procession was touted as a once-in-60-years occasion, with vacationers coming from so far as Hong Kong, Taiwan and Singapore.

I used to be The Star’s Butterworth correspondent and the district was recognized again then for sensational crimes.

About a 12 months after organising base there, I had already coated murders, shoot-outs, accidents, fires and even the hijacking of a tour bus with passengers in it.

But none would put together me for the tragedy to befall the port city that afternoon. It was the unthinkable – the Pengkalan Sultan Abdul Halim jetty platform had collapsed below the overload of 1000’s of passengers scrambling to board ferries to get throughout to the island.

The horrific occasion killed 32 individuals and injured greater than 1,000 others.

Running a one-man bureau then, I used to be confronted with immense strain to cowl a nationwide catastrophe. There was no room for emotion.

The press had been carrying reviews in a run-up to the 2 main occasions, anticipating that 1000’s would transfer throughout from Butterworth to the island.

There was the Penang Bridge however the ferries had been the favored selection as a result of jetty’s strategic location and comfort.

On that fateful afternoon, some 10,000 individuals had been mentioned to be standing on the picket platform earlier than it gave approach.

I used to be going via some work deliberate for the week forward when the cellphone rang simply previous 5pm. It was a police detective good friend tipping me off about one thing untoward on the ferry terminal.

I assumed a ferry had rammed the dock whereas attempting to berth. Such incidents, generally inflicting minor accidents to passengers, weren’t uncommon.

The Fire and Rescue Department which I referred to as up mentioned there have been individuals critically harm on the ferry terminal. Things took a completely completely different dimension from then on.

I referred to as up S. Arulldass who was a stringer for a Tamil each day and we headed for the ferry terminal on his motorbike.

What we witnessed on the way in which made us sweat. Ambulances had been dashing away from the scene, sirens blaring.

On a number of the ambulances, I keep in mind seeing blood splattered on the perimeters, indicating how critical the incident was.

There had been scores of policemen and medical personnel there, with RMAF helicopters hovering above.

I recall seeing the injured, a few of them youngsters, positioned on blankets on the street ready to be taken to hospital. Arul and I had been among the many first journalists to reach.

It was confirmed that the passenger platform on the high deck of the ferry terminal had collapsed at about 4.40pm, as a result of unusually giant crowd in the ready space after the ticket turnstiles.

The passengers had been jostling to board the Pulau Langkawi ferry when the platform gave approach, crushing the motorists and motorcyclists beneath.

A survivor I spoke to mentioned he thought “the world was suddenly falling apart”. Others captured the anguish of individuals screaming as they tried to scramble to security.

Ferry providers had been instantly halted with all visitors diverted to the Penang Bridge.

My editor on the newsdesk in Penang mentioned “reinforcements” could be despatched through motorboat to help with reporting and pictures.

At press time, police had been capable of determine solely 20 of the lifeless, with two youngsters and 6 ladies amongst them.

The injured had been rushed to the Butterworth district hospital and personal clinics, with others additionally taken by helicopter to the Penang General Hospital on the island.

Penang Port Commission (PPC) chairman Syed Mohamed Aidid was amongst those that narrowly escaped demise, being simply 5 metres away from the crashing platform and metallic beams.

He mentioned he was joined by PPC deputy basic supervisor (operations) Thong Yow Chuan and ferry supervisor Harun Othman in overseeing visitors management on the vehicular lane beneath the picket passenger platform.

“Security personnel were controlling the crowd to board the ferries in stages but people rushed forward. This is the largest crowd we have ever seen… each ferry can only take in 300 passengers,” I quoted him as saying.

As the prolonged press deadline approached, the police had been nonetheless unable to offer particulars on the fatalities and extent of accidents.

It was changing into late once I determined to do the unimaginable – getting into the district hospital morgue to seek out out.

I acquired previous safety and it was a chilly second inside once I noticed the physique luggage, each huge and small.

In the absence of official police affirmation, The Star crew filed its report stating that no less than 31 individuals had been killed and greater than 400 injured.

The cowl screamed “Pier Horror” with pixman Stephen Goh’s picture of a automotive completely wrecked by the fallen metallic beams and firemen standing by.

Arul and I made a decision to spend the evening at The Star workplace, and the workplace phone rang once more. The police had been calling a press convention by Butterworth OCPD Supt Amiruddin Embi at 4am.

Under the glare of TV lights and sound of cameras clicking away, Tuan Amir pieced collectively what had occurred and make clear the casualties.

The scores of journalists current might solely counter-check in opposition to the knowledge they managed to muster, hoping that they weren’t far off the mark.

It was later revealed that one other sufferer had died to make the casualty checklist rise to 32.

On the evening of the tragedy, then Transport Minister Dr Ling Liong Sik (now Tun) pledged a full and open inquiry to find out its causes, with Chief Minister Dr Lim Chong Eu promising to assist the victims via a welfare fund.

What happened:  On Sept 21, 1989, a 200-page report of the RCI which was made public concluded that overloading of passengers in the waiting area of the terminal caused the platform to collapse, and that the PPC’s operations department had pleaded ignorance on the maximum number of passengers allowed there.What occurred: On Sept 21, 1989, a 200-page report of the RCI which was made public concluded that overloading of passengers in the ready space of the terminal precipitated the platform to collapse, and that the PPC’s operations division had pleaded ignorance on the utmost variety of passengers allowed there.

A Jetty Tragedy Victims Committee was set as much as deal with authorized legal responsibility functions, with its authorized adviser Ok. Balasundaram saying that the compensation claims of greater than 900 victims represented by the committee totalled RM7mil.

On Aug 14, Dr Ling introduced the appointment of former Federal Court choose Tan Sri Chang Min Tat as chairman of Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) on the jetty tragedy, former Supreme Court choose Tan Sri Syed Agil Syed Hassan Barakbah as commissioner and ministry authorized adviser Yaacob Mohamed Sam as secretary.

After listening to proof from 99 individuals, the RCI ended its listening to on May 31, 1989.

A complete of 102 reveals had been admitted, together with materials recovered from the positioning of the tragedy.

I coated a part of the hearings held in Penang together with its remaining day, and recall Chang presiding over the inquiry ever so meticulously.

On Sept 21, 1989, a 200-page report of the RCI which was made public discovered the PPC to be negligent.

The report concluded that overloading of passengers in the ready space of the terminal precipitated the platform to collapse, and that the PPC’s operations division had pleaded ignorance on the utmost variety of passengers allowed there.

It mentioned the ferry supervisor should have recognized the restrictions of the higher deck, and that the responsibility of anticipating the passenger load lay squarely with operations which had figures from earlier festivals.

“PPC Blamed” was The Star’s headline the next day.

In the aftermath of the report, I broke the information of Thong and Harun being issued show-cause letters by the PPC.

Penang’s ferry service has since undergone a complete revamp with two quick boats for pedestrians and simply one of many previous ferries retained for bikes solely.

The ferry terminals are being upgraded for hi-tech water buses and vehicular ferries. It has been a great distance however one would hope that the harsh classes of 33 years in the past won’t ever be forgotten.

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