The 2010 Penang dragon boat accident was an incident

Accident

An accident or mishap is an unforeseen and unplanned event or circumstance, often with lack of intention or necessity. It implies a generally negative outcome which may have been avoided or prevented had circumstances leading up to the accident been recognized, and acted upon, prior to its...

 that occurred on January 17, 2010 in Penang

Penang

Penang is a state in Malaysia and the name of its constituent island, located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia by the Strait of Malacca. It is bordered by Kedah in the north and east, and Perak in the south. Penang is the second smallest Malaysian state in area after Perlis, and the...

, Malaysia. The incident involved the Chung Ling High School

Chung Ling High School

Chung Ling High School is a boys' secondary school in Malaysia, located in George Town, Penang.-The school:...

 dragon boat

Dragon boat

A dragon boat is a human-powered watercraft traditionally made, in the Pearl River delta region of southern China - Guangdong Province, of teak wood to various designs and sizes. In other parts of China different woods are used to build these traditional watercraft...

 team's boat capsizing after colliding with a tugboat amid strong currents. This incident killed 6 people while 12 were injured.

17 January 2010

At 8:00am, the Chung Ling High School

Chung Ling High School

Chung Ling High School is a boys' secondary school in Malaysia, located in George Town, Penang.-The school:...

 dragon boat practice took place in the North Strait, located off the Clan Jetties. 18 paddlers took part in this activity. Safety measures were not taken, examples included only 2 out of the 18 paddlers wearing safety jackets, which were compulsory. At 9:00am, the dragon boat capsized after colliding with a tugboat amid strong currents. 12 paddlers were rescued or swam to safety. At 10:00am a rescue team comprising policemen, firemen, marine law enforcement bureau and civil defence officers arrived at the accident area. Two bodies were retrieved, Chin Aik Siang, a teacher, and Jason Ch'Ng, a student.

18 January 2010

The last 4 missing bodies were recovered, Brendon Yeoh, Goh Yi Zhang, Wang Yong Xiang and Cheah Zi Jun, all students, were found in the sea at 12:10pm. In memory of the deceased, the flag of Chung Ling High School was flown at half mast and a memorial ceremony was held. The school Board of Governors, Parent-Teacher Association and Alumni Association donated RM10,000 to the families of accident victims. An additional RM2000 was donated to the injured paddlers.

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