66 Feared Drowned in Malaysian Boat Disaster

A boat carrying 97 foreigners from Indonesia capsized about two nautical miles off the western coast of Malaysia, as per a media report.

As per the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency, 31 people have been rescued but 66 of the passengers are still missing.

According to Malaysia’s New Straits Times, the wooden boat overturned and sank around midnight on Tuesday about two miles (3 km) from the coastal town of Banting on the Strait of Malacca.

A distress call was received by the fire and rescue department at about 12.24 am and the team reached the scene within 30 minutes.

A spokesperson for the agency said that the passengers, including women and children, were allegedly trying to reach Malaysia illegally. One boat had been sent by the agency to search for survivors and two more will be sent, the spokesperson added.

The fire fighters are monitoring the coastline and the search operations are still on till last report.

http://tinyurl.com/mzb4y7j