Four people died and five others were injured when they jumped overboard a ferry, which caught fire on the way to Tioman Island from Mersing, southern Johor state in Malaysia on Saturday.

 

The ferry carrying about 100 passengers was seven nautical miles from the Genting Jetty when the fire occurred at 12:30 PM on Saturday, according to a report on the local newspaper The Star's website.

 

Fishing boats, tourist boats and the marine police, which was dispatched to the scene to rescue the passengers following a distress call, plucked out 94 people and four dead bodies from the water, said Harun Arshad, Mersing Officer in Charge of Police District.

 

Police have identified the dead were all from Malaysia.

 

The five injured have been sent to the Mersing Hospital for treatment.

 

According to Harun, police are still mounting a search and rescue operation to look for more survivors.

 

"We believe there could be a few more people onboard the ferry who were not listed on the passenger list," The Star quoted Harun as saying.

 

(Xinhua News Agency October 14, 2007)