Ship-Ferry Collision Off Penang Injures 21 Passengers

A collision between a cargo ship and a passenger ferry near the Sultan Abdul Halim Ferry Terminal in Butterworth left 21 people injured, six of them seriously, on the night of 2 Sep 2026. The incident occurred within Penang Port limits at 8.40 pm, involving the ferry Teluk Bahang and the vessel MV Mekar Jaya. Penang Port Commission chairman Datuk Yeoh Soon Hin said initial information indicated MV Mekar Jaya was travelling from the Butterworth Deep Water Wharves to the Swettenham Pier Cruise Terminal when it collided with the ferry, which was heading toward the Sultan Abdul Halim Ferry Terminal. He said all injured passengers had been taken to hospital and that no victims remained at the terminal, adding that ferry operations were continuing as usual and had not been affected by the incident. Penang Fire and Rescue Department operations and fire division assistant director John Sagun Francis said the department received an emergency call at 9.58 pm and dispatched a team from the Butterworth Fire and Rescue Station. He said 92 people, including passengers, were involved in the incident, with six confirmed to have suffered serious injuries and been taken to hospital. Video clips circulated on social media showed several motorcycles lying on their sides inside the ferry following the collision. Authorities have not yet released further details on the cause of the crash or the extent of damage to either vessel.