Boat carrying 97 Indonesians sinks off Malaysia, with at least 61 people missing

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Indonesians missing after boat sinks

(BBC) A boat carrying 97 Indonesians has sunk off Malaysia, with at least 61 people missing, Malaysian authorities say.

The passengers, who include women and children, were illegal migrants, said a spokesperson for the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency.

The wooden vessel sank about midnight (16:00 Tuesday) off Port Klang, near Banting on the Strait of Malacca, officials said.

One rescue boat has gone to the area, and two more are being deployed.

"This was an illegal boat" that was not authorised for ocean voyages, Muhammad Zuri, a maritime official, told Reuters news agency.

Officials say that those on board were Indonesian, working in Malaysia illegally, who were now trying to return home for the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

Source: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-27898558

-- BBC 2014-06-18

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Malaysian rescuers save 24 more passengers from capsized boat

Kuala Lumpur - Rescuers say they have recovered 24 more people from a boat that sank off the western coast of Malaysia, bringing to 55 the total number of people rescued.

Jazlizad Jalil from Banting town fire and rescue department told a local television station that they were still looking for 42 others who were on board.


-- The Nation 2014-06-18

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Boat carrying 97 passengers capsizes off Malaysia’s Banting



KUALA LUMPUR: -- A wooden boat carrying 97 foreigners capsized some two nautical miles off Sungai Air Hitam, Banting, at around midnight.

The distress call was received by the Banting Fire and Rescue department at about 12.24am Wednesday and a search and rescue team (SAR) was dispatched to the scene 30 minutes later.

At press time about 31 people have been rescued by the SAR team.

The search for the other victims is ongoing and fire fighters are currently monitoring the coastline.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/boat-carrying-97-passengers-capsizes-malaysias-banting/

-- Thai PBS 2014-06-18