Malaysian authorities have resumed their search and rescue operation for missing immigrants from the boat that capsized off the Sabak Bernam coast on Wednesday.
Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) Klang chief First Admiral Mohd Aliyas Hamdan said about 400 rescuers in nine boats and two aircraft set off from Hutan Melintang yesterday to continue searching for 24 more victims.
He said the officers were covering 1,000sq km search area but were facing strong winds and rough waves as the weather worsened.
“So far, it is not something we can’t handle. We’ll continue the search until we are positive that all the victims have been recovered,” Adm Mohd Aliyas said at the MMEA’s base about 15 nautical miles from where the boat carrying about 70 Indonesians capsized.
Other agencies involved in the search are the Selangor Fire and Rescue Department, the police, Civil Defence Department and local fishermen.
So far, 40 have been pulled out of the water, including 24 of those who died.
The bodies were brought to the Hospital Raja Permaisuri Bainon in Ipoh for post-mortem.
In Klang, the 19 survivors rescued earlier were issued with remand orders by the Kuala Selangor magistrate’s court. They were placed under police custody for 14 days, pending investigations.
Officers also rescued an Indonesian man who survived despite being out in open waters for over 28 hours. He was found floating in the sea on Friday afternoon.
The victims were said to have crammed on a small boat, which left Kuala Sungai Bernam for Tanjung Balai in Sumatra, Indonesia, in the early hours of Wednesday.
It is believed the victims were heading home for the Hari Raya Haji celebrations.
In June last year, a wooden boat with 97 passengers capsized about two nautical miles off Sungai Air Hitam in Banting.
Fourteen of them drowned, including 12 women and a five-year-old girl while 61 were rescued.
Sunday 06 September 2015
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/09/06/msia-resumes-search-and-rescue-missing-immigrants.html
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