KOTA KINABALU (THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK) - Six Chinese tourists escaped with minor injuries when the boat slammed into a jetty in the town of Semporna in Sabah.

A male tourists and his female companion were given outpatient treatment at the Semporna district hospital following the 7pm incident on Saturday (Oct 1).

The others - three women and a man -were not injured - but shaken by the accident that apparently occurred when the boat veered out of control.

"A local boatman lost control of the boat as he entered the jetty area as darkness was setting in,'' Semporna police chief Supt Peter Umbuas said when contacted on Sunday.

He said the 41-year-old man had been detained for questioning. The six tourists were returning from Mabul island back to the Semporna mainland when the incident happened.

Mabul island is located off Semporna, in the east coast of Sabah.

"So far, we believe that the boatman had not committed any offence under our laws as far the accident is concerned," Supt Umbuas said.

He however said that authorities were checking if he had the relevant permit to ferry tourists and this would be under the purview of Tourism Malaysia.