PETALING JAYA: Thunderstorms and choppy waves threw the holiday plans of over a thousand tourists in disarray after ferries headed to Langkawi were forced to turn back.
According to Sinar Harian, a ferry from Kuala Perlis with 567 passengers ran aground on sandbanks just 0.5 nautical miles from the terminal it came from.
Ferry Line Ventures Sdn Bhd general manager Baharin Baharom said strong winds had pushed the ferry off course towards the sandbanks.
Baharin said all passengers were safe but the company had to wait for the tide to come in at 8pm tonight to transfer them to another vessel.
The ferry service is also expected to resume at that time.
Baharin also said three ferries carrying 679 passengers had to head back to the Kuala Kedah ferry terminal due to the thunderstorms.
Baharin said all passengers had been refunded their ticket costs, and some had rescheduled their trips.
