Twenty-one people were injured after a ferry and an oil tanker collided just off Penang Port in Malaysia on Tuesday, September 1.
The incident occurred at around 20:40 local time when the ferry Teluk Bahang and the locally registered tanker Mekar Jaya collided near Penang's Sultan Abdul Halim Ferry Terminal.
The Fire and Rescue Department of Malaysia (JBPM) deployed personnel to the area to render assistance shortly after an alert was received a little over an hour later.
The ferry's passengers were all eventually offloaded with the aid of personnel of the JBPM and other agencies.
Of the 21 injured individuals, 18 were brought to hospital though all were subsequently given out-patient treatment.
Penang Port Commission (PPC) Chairman Datuk Yeoh Soon Hin has ordered the formation of a special task force consisting of PPC personnel and representatives of the ferry's operating company to investigate the events that led to the mishap.
Yeoh has also instructed the ferry's operator to to review its procedures to determine whether the incident had been due to safety lapses.
Officials clarified that the incident did not disrupt ferry operations at Penang Port.
