ALOR SETAR: A total of 305 ferry passengers on the way to Langkawi from Kuala Kedah faced anxious moments when the vessel's engine room caught fire at 4 pm today.

Marine Department in a statement today said the engine room caught fire immediately after it departed the Kuala Kedah passengers' ferry terminal here.

"The Kuala Kedah Volunteer Fire Brigade machinery, which reached the scene early had helped put out the fire before another squad from the Kedah Fire and Rescue Department arrived.

"The fire was brought under control at 4.40 pm and monitoring was carried out until 5.30 pm," he said.

According to the department no casualties were reported and all passengers were moved to another ferry at 4.30 pm.

"There was no oil spill and the Marine Department has set up a team to find out the cause of the incident," he said.

-- BERNAMA