SAR team members transport the body of Awang Syukri on board their rescue boat.
LIMBANG: Four people, including two Bruneians, were killed in a river collision between a passenger boat and a speed boat in Sungai Simpang Tiga, Kampung Limpaku Pinang here yesterday afternoon.
The passenger boat was ferrying six passengers from Limbang while the Bruneian speed boat was carriying 20 passengers when the tragedy occurred around 2pm.
Two of the victims were identified as Mohd Nazmi Marali, 21, and Awang Syukri Awangku Rizan, 7. The other two victms were Bruneian women but have not been identified yet.
In a press statement yesterday, the state Fire and Rescue Department operation centre said it received a distress call on the incident at 2.19pm and immediately set up a search and rescue (SAR) team comprising personnel from various government agencies including police, Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA), Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba) from Limbang, Miri and Brunei, Brunei ambulance, Brunei marine police, Civil Defence Force as well as villagers.
Syarikat Shell Negara Brunei also deployed a helicopter to assist in the search and rescue operation from the air.
Limbang District police chief Supt Mohd Bukhori Saffai, when contacted yesterday, said the operation commander had reported that the first victim, Awang Syukri, was found by members of the public at 5.30pm about 100 metres from the location of the collision.
The second victim, Mohd Nazmi, was found by the villagers at 5.51pm not far from the location where the first victim was earlier found. The bodies of both victims had been handed over to the police.
Meanwhile, the two women from Brunei succumbed to their injuries and died while being transported in boats, he said adding two other Bruneians were also badly injured in the incident.
The dead and injured Bruneian nationals were sent back to their country as the collision happened in Malaysian waters. The SAR operation ended at 6.01pm.