117 rescued in ferry mishap

117 rescued in ferry mishap

SINGAPORE (AFP): Some 117 passengers were plucked to safety by rescue workers after a ferry ran aground on the reefs off Singapore while on its way from Indonesia, police and Port of Singapore Authority (PSA) officials said yesterday.

Five passengers suffered minor cuts and bruises in the mishap which occurred late Sunday as the Singapore-registered Penguin Empress was about to reach Singapore shores from Tanjung Pinang, a popular tourist spot on the southern Indonesian island of Bintan, they said.

Tanjung Pinang is about two hours from Singapore by ferry.

The five slightly injured Singaporeans were sent to the General Hospital here for outpatient treatment.

The circumstances under which the Penguin Empress, with a seven-man crew, ran aground were being investigated by the PSA, officials said.

The passengers comprised 107 Singaporeans, six Malaysians, three Indonesians and a Briton, a police spokesman said.