40 still missing from boat sinking off Malaysia
Rescuers say ships and aircraft continue search in waters off Johor, but chances are slim of finding more of the Indonesians aboard alive
Rescuers were searching for 40 missing Indonesians, including women and children, yesterday after a boat carrying them home to celebrate the end of the Islamic fasting month of Ramadan sank off Malaysia.
Two ships, four speedboats and two helicopters were dispatched to scour the seas off Malaysia's southern Johor state but were unable to spot any of those missing, said Amran Daud, an official with the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA).
"The accident happened two days ago, so we are trying our best," Amran said. "But chances [of finding more survivors] are slim."
It is thought the Indonesians chose to travel by boat because they were working illegally in Malaysia and wished to bypass border controls on their trip home.
The boat sank roughly three hours into its journey from Tanjung Sedili on the state's east coast to Indonesia's Batam Island, with its passengers hoping to return for the Muslim holiday, Amran said.
Fishermen found three of the survivors clinging onto a plastic drum in the water and alerted the authorities, who spotted the fourth man. None of the men, aged between 26 and 31, were wearing life jackets.