Death toll in Malaysia migrant shipwreck rises to at least 21

Authorities in Malaysia and Thailand have recovered at least 21 bodies while searching for survivors after a boat carrying undocumented migrants capsized, police and maritime officials said Monday.

Officials said the boat was carrying around 70 migrants when it capsized near Thailand's Tarutao Island four days ago.

Romli Mustafa, director of the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency in the northern states of Kedah and Perlis, said rescuers found five more bodies on Monday, after seven bodies were recovered over the weekend.

"Our search counterpart, the Thai authorities, has so far found... a total of nine bodies. No survivors were found in Thai waters," Romli told reporters on Monday evening.

He said search-and-rescue operations were expected to last 7 days, depending on further discoveries and the weather.