Traumatic Monday school journey for students, teachers as jetty collapses in Semporna

SEMPORNA: It was a highly traumatic Monday morning for school children and teachers when the pier of the Pulau Pababag jetty collapsed here this morning, sending some 25 pupils into the sea and teachers heroically jumping in to save them but fortunately it was during low tide as seen from a viral video.

There were no casualties according to the deputy director of Sabah State Education Department (school management), Abidin Marjan who said the 6.45 am incident occurred when school children were alighting from boats to walk across the pier.

Two students suffered minor injuries to their lips and hands, after knocking into the wood and concrete segments of the pier.

"During the incident, two teachers jumped in to rescue the pupils. The teachers and students involved were allowed to go home and there were no serious injuries," Abidin Marjan said here later today.

He said the village jetty was part of the pier leading to the Pulau Pababag primary school.

Today, a one-minute 30-second video had gone viral showing pupils being rescued after the pier in Kampung Pababag collapsed.

In KOTA KINABALU, Sulabayan community development leader Abdul Manan Indanan hoped for immediate allocation from the Ministry of Rural and Regional Development (KKDW) to rebuild the collapsed pier on Pababag Island.

"I happened to be meeting the minister (Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi) today and showed him a video of the pier collapsing and the students involved. We hope construction can be carried out soon, we will also meet the village head and the school for further action," he said here today.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Education (MOE) in a statement today said it has taken steps through the Semporna District Education Office to investigate the incident and provide immediate assistance to all concerned.

"The MOE views the incident seriously and will ensure that safety aspects are improved by mandating the use of life jackets and also checks on the pier structure.

"KPM (MOE) will also hold an engagement session with stakeholders and local authorities in the near future to discuss proposed infrastructure improvements at the jetty to ensure there is no recurrence," he said.

According to the statement, psychosocial support will be provided to the teachers and students involved, besides requesting the local government to provide a safer alternative route for students, parents and teachers going to the school.

-- BERNAMA