PASSENGERS were rescued from Royal Sea ferry which was carrying more than 300 people, following a fire in the engine room during its voyage to Pemba Island on Wednesday Morning, Police and local authorities have said.
Fire on Royal Sea broke out a few miles from Mkoani Port in South Pemba, but it was put out shortly, living the vessels engines damaged. The ferry was heading to Mkoani port from Unguja. “Fortunately there was no casualty.
All the passengers disembarked safely from both the rescue ship named Mv Serengeti, and the Royal Sea boat,” said Mr Hemed Suleiman Abdalla, the District Commissioner (DC), for Mkoani.
The DC said MV Serengeti had left Mkoani seaport for Unguja Islands, before the incident. “Thanks to the fast growing mobile technology, MV Serengeti’s response was swift to save people,” he said.Mr Suleiman Juma, one of the passengers said there was panic after “when we learned that the engine had caught fire. Fortunately despite the confusion crews successfully managed to ask people to be calm before MV Serengeti came to rescue us.”
Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), Mr Shekhan Mohammed Shekhan dismissed reports on the social media that some people had drowned.
“It was mere speculations. All 367 passengers including 67 children disembarked safely. Only one woman identified as Viwe (40) was unconscious,” he said. He said that tension reigned during the boat-to-ship transfer as the passengers clad in orange life jackets, were being moved from one boat to another.
Mr Shekhan, the Regional Police Commander (RPC) for South Pemba Region thanked the crews of the Serengeti for assisting the passengers in the troubled Royal Sea ferry, but urged crews in all vessels to inspect their boats before sailing in order to avoid accidents.
/Daily News.
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