, coordinates ={{Coord, 5.3947, 100.3641, region:MY_type:event, display=title,inline , also known as = , cause =Overloading of passengers in the waiting area of the terminal{{cite news, url=https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2021/12/04/flashback-star50-jetty-collapse-deaths-a-harsh-lesson-in-human-negligence, title=Flashback #Star50: Jetty collapse deaths a harsh lesson in human negligence, date=4 December 2021, publisher=The Star , access-date=8 October 2022, author=Paul Gabriel , outcome = , reported death(s) = 32 , reported injuries = 1,634 , reported missing = , reported property damage = , burial = , coroner = , charges = , verdict = , convictions = , litigation = , awards = , url = , website = , notes = The Sultan Abdul Halim ferry terminal bridge collapse was a disaster of the Penang Ferry Service which occurred on 31 July 1988, at the

Sultan Abdul Halim Ferry Terminal The Sultan Abdul Halim Ferry Terminal is a ferry slip within Butterworth in Penang, Malaysia. This docking facility is used for Rapid Ferry services between Butterworth and the city of George Town on Penang Island. In addition to ferry s ...

in Butterworth,

Penang Penang ( ms, Pulau Pinang, is a Malaysian state located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia, by the Malacca Strait. It has two parts: Penang Island, where the capital city, George Town, is located, and Seberang Perai on the Ma ...

Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...

. The collapse caused the deaths of 32 people and injured 1,634 people. It was blamed on overcrowding and the jetty being made out of steel bars that led to the collapse. Transport Minister

Ling Liong Sik Tun Dr. Ling Liong Sik (; born 18 September 1943) is a retired Malaysian politician. He was the sixth president of the Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA), a component party of Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition and also the former Malaysian M ...

pledged a full and open inquiry to determine its causes, with Chief Minister

Lim Chong Eu Tun Dr. Lim Chong Eu (; 28 May 1919 – 24 November 2010) was a Malaysian politician who served as the 2nd Chief Minister of Penang from May 1969 to October 1990. He was also the founding president of Parti Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia (GERAKAN). ...

promising to help the victims through a welfare fund.

Cause

Two simultaneous festivities

The cause was extreme crowding at the

of about 10,000 people. There were two simultaneous festivities involving the Chinese ethnic group, namely the Kwan Yin Goddess festival in George Town and the St. Anne's Church anniversary in

Bukit Mertajam Bukit Mertajam ( Jawi:بوكيت مرتاجم) is the administrative centre of the city of Seberang Perai in Penang, Malaysia. It also serves as the seat of the Central Seberang Perai District. , Bukit Mertajam (core) contains a total of 13,0 ...

. The decorated float procession was held at the

Esplanade An esplanade or promenade is a long, open, level area, usually next to a river or large body of water, where people may walk. The historical definition of ''esplanade'' was a large, open, level area outside fortress or city walls to provide cle ...

and at Padang Kota ield between Dato Keramat Road and Anson Roadas well as passing through main streets of Georgetown.

Statue A statue is a free-standing sculpture in which the realistic, full-length figures of persons or animals are carved or cast in a durable material such as wood, metal or stone. Typical statues are life-sized or close to life-size; a sculpture t ...

s of this goddess were paraded along streets decorated with colourful lights in the middle of the city on Sunday 31 July 1988 night. There was a call for

Buddhist Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...

devotees from the Chinese ethnic group to attend the event because it was held only once every 60 years according to the Chinese calendar (a once-in-a-lifetime occasion) and this festivity was believed to bring prosperity because Kwan Yin means 'Goddess of Generosity'. Tourists from

Singapore Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...

Hong Kong Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delta i ...

and

Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the northe ...

also came at that time. St. Anne's Church in

was also holding a large festival for its anniversary. Many Christian ethnic Chinese worshipped at this church on

Sunday Sunday is the day of the week between Saturday and Monday. In most Western countries, Sunday is a day of rest and a part of the weekend. It is often considered the first day of the week. For most observant adherents of Christianity, Sunday ...

morning and proceeded to

in the afternoon to visit and observe the

ceremony.

Packed bridge

The

Penang Bridge The Penang Bridge is a dual carriageway toll bridge and controlled-access highway in the state of Penang, Malaysia. The bridge connects Perai on the mainland side of the state with Gelugor on the island, crossing the Penang Strait. The b ...

which opened in 1985 did not accommodate public transport. Many people chose to go to the island to enjoy the scenic

Butterworth Strait Butterworth may refer to: Places * Butterworth (ancient township), a former township centred on Milnrow, in the then Parish of Rochdale, England, United Kingdom * Butterworth, Eastern Cape, now also known as Gcuwa, a town located in South Africa ...

and sunset, and continue to the

on foot.

Packed jetty

The

had two levels. The lower level was for cars and other small vehicles to

roll-on/roll-off Roll-on/roll-off (RORO or ro-ro) ships are cargo ships designed to carry wheeled cargo, such as cars, motorcycles, trucks, semi-trailer trucks, buses, Trailer (vehicle), trailers, and railroad cars, that are driven on and off the ship on their o ...

. The upper level was for passengers from and to the Butterworth bus station. The terminal, built in 1956 could not withstand the 'assault' of 10,000 passengers. Its columns were made of reinforced concrete and floor of thick boards. The floor beams, fencing and walls, made of dense steel, covered the passageway for vehicles beneath. At 4:40 p.m., the beams buckled and snapped. The floor boards consequently collapsed. The steel walls and roof caved in. The passengers above slid and were crushed by columns and platform boards. Vehicles beneath were smashed.

Victims

32 people were killed and 1,674 people were injured. Victims were taken to Butterworth Hospital, Bukit Mertajam Hospital and other hospitals. The fire brigade struggled to extricate victims. The left passage was completely stopped. But the right passage could still operate, letting passengers travel to the island and back. The wreckage was left for a while for investigation and expansion planning. This news of the ferry terminal collapse was reported on the 8:00 p.m. TV3 main news.Penang Ferry Collapse TV3 Main News in 1988
/ref>

Effects

After the incident, the Penang Port Authority studied the suitability and efficiency of the use of ferries between Butterworth and

Raja Tun Uda Ferry Terminal The Raja Tun Uda Ferry Terminal is a ferry slip within the city of George Town in Penang, Malaysia. Situated at Weld Quay in the city centre, this docking facility is used for Rapid Ferry services between George Town and Butterworth on the M ...

at the

side. Express bus passengers were dropped not only at the Butterwoth bus station but also at

Sungai Dua Sungai Dua is a residential neighbourhood within the city of George Town in Penang, Malaysia. Located south of the city centre, this neighbourhood borders Universiti Sains Malaysia to the north, Sungai Nibong to the east and Bukit Jambul to th ...

and

Gelugor Gelugor is a southern suburb of George Town in Penang, Malaysia. Named after a plant species, Gelugor lies along the eastern seaboard of Penang Island, between Jelutong and Sungai Dua, and nearly south of the city centre. Gelugor had been p ...

. Given the relative speeds of crossing the strait by ferry versus the

, most regular commuters now prefer the bridge. The

was rebuilt with several modifications.

In popular culture

On 11 April 2015,

TV3 (Malaysia) TV3 (pronounced as ''Tivi Tiga'') is a Malaysian free-to-air television channel owned by Media Prima conglomerate. TV3 is the third and third oldest TV station in Malaysia. It was launched on 1 June 1984 as the country's first and oldest priva ...

's documentary programme - ''"Detik Tragik" (Tragic Moments)'' produced an episode about the ferry terminal bridge collapse. This is followed by Fail Bomba of

Radio Televisyen Malaysia Radio Televisyen Malaysia ( en, Radio Television of Malaysia, abbreviated as RTM, stylised as rtm), also known as the Department of Broadcasting, Malaysia ( ms, Jabatan Penyiaran Malaysia) is the national public broadcaster of Malaysia. Establ ...

(RTM) in 2017.