GEORGE TOWN, Feb 28 — Four local men nearly drowned after their boat capsized near Persiaran Karpal Singh here today.

Penang Fire and Rescue Department Operations Officer Fadzil Mohamad said that all the victims in their 50s were successfully rescued by fishermen at the scene, with two of them sustaining injuries and received treatment at a nearby clinic.

The fire department received a distress call regarding the incident at 2.40 pm and promptly rushed to the scene in a boat.

Upon arrival, they found a capsized boat on the coast and assisted the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) in conducting a thorough inspection. Initial checks found that the boat had capsized approximately 300 to 400 metres offshore due to an explosion in its generator.

The operation concluded at 5:09 pm.

It is learnt that they were en route to Langkawi, Kedah and had stopped briefly in Penang waters. — Bernama