13 feared dead after boat capsizes off Malaysia

February 09, 2017 | 10:00

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KUALA LUMPUR: Thirteen people are feared dead after the speedboat they were travelling in capsized in rough seas off Malaysia, the coast guard said on Wednesday (Feb 8), in the latest maritime accident in the area.

Thirteen people are feared dead after the speedboat they were travelling in capsized in rough seas off Malaysia, the coast guard said. (AFP/MANAN VATSYAYANA)

Two passengers were rescued by a fisherman and some villagers in waters near Sabah state on Borneo island on Wednesday evening and taken to hospital.

They told authorities the boat had been travelling from the southwestern coast of Sabah to Indonesia on Tuesday evening when it overturned and sank.

A search was under way for the missing passengers who are feared drowned.

Coast guard First Admiral Zubil Mat Som said it would be challenging to find them because the accident was reported some 24 hours after it happened.

Authorities were not able to determine the nationalities of the passengers and did not provide further details.

In January, a tourist boat with Chinese tourists capsized off Sabah. Most were rescued after more than 30 hours.

Another incident in January saw several bodies washed ashore at a beach in the Malaysian state of Johor after a boat believed to be carrying some 40 Indonesian illegal immigrants capsized in rough seas.

AFP

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