However, no one was hurt in the 10am incident near the Sultan Haji Omar Ali Saifuddien Bridge, according to Limbang police chief Parum Niot, Borneo Post reported.

He said the two crew members and 12 passengers, which included a child, escaped unhurt but the boat was damaged after it was hit by strong waves and started to sink.

He said the crew managed to contact the boat owner after the boat was hit.

“They also managed to alert a passenger boat from Limbang to assist in transporting the passengers as the speedboat had started to leak.

“All the passengers were reported to be safe and took shelter under the bridge before the boat eventually sank,” he said in a statement on Saturday.

He added that the Brunei marine police picked up the two crew members and took them to the Muara police station in Brunei to record their statements.

“All passengers were taken to Limbang aboard another passenger boat. The crew members were later sent back by the Brunei marine police to the Sundar estuary (in Sarawak), where they were picked up by a village boat,” Parum said, according to the Sarawak-based daily.

He added that Brunei police also assisted in towing the damaged boat to Kampung Limpaku Pinang, in Limbang.