No new survivors found in boat accident in Malaysia

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Search efforts continue on Tuesday for those missing in the boat accident off Malaysia's Sabah state on North Borneo.

Ahmad Puzi Ab Kahar, director general of Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency, said the operations would cover 3,000 square nautical miles with planes and ships of his agency as well as Malaysian navy and air force.

No new survivors from a boat carrying Chinese tourists that sank off Malaysia's Sabah state were found Monday, while authorities have launched an investigation into the accident, arresting the boat owner and two crew members.

Speaking to a press conference, Ab Kahar said the search area had been expanded to 2,400 square nautical miles, involving assets from his agency, as well as Malaysian navy and air force. Neighboring Brunei has sent aircraft to search its waters.

The search faces challenges caused by strong wind and rough sea, but "that were not the excuses and problem for us to continue the operations," he said.

Rescue personnel assisting survivors at a jetty in Kota Kinabalu in the Malaysian Borneo state of Sabah after a tourist catamaran sank on January 28 on early January 30, 2017. /CFP Photo

Meanwhile, Malaysian authorities have started an investigation into the accident. Prime Minister Najib Razak said on a social media posting that he saw the tragedy seriously and wanted a detailed investigation to find out the cause of the incident.

The skipper and the crewman were arrested for suspected of negligible homicide, said Sabah police chief Ramli Din. The two crew members were the first to be rescued after their boat sank on Saturday on the way from the state capital Kota Kinabalu to Pulau Mengalum, a popular tourist island some 60 km to the west.

The owner was arrested later on Monday, and police launched a full probe into the accident, including whether the boat was overloaded and whether it was operated with license and insurance, Ramli told Xinhua.

"We will investigate from all angles, pertaining to negligence if any," he said.

Ramli said the boat was carrying 27 Chinese tourists instead of 28 as reported earlier. One tourist was registered for the trip but cancelled the visit after seeing the boat was full.

Police coast guards attend to Chinese tourists rescued after their boat sank off the coast of Borneo, at a port in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia on early January 30, 2017. /CFP Photo

That brings the number of unaccounted for down to five, including a crewman, not six as reported earlier, he said. China's Consulate General in Kota Kinabalu said the new figure would have to be verified.

The passengers and crew were left adrift at sea after the boat sank in rough sea, before 20 Chinese tourists were rescued Sunday. Three tourists were found dead.

The tourists were sent back to Kota Kinabalu early Monday and admitted to a hospital. All suffered from sunburn and dehydration but were in stable conditions, according to the hospital.

A Chinese tourist who went to Pulau Mengalum for snorkeling on Saturday recalled the bumpy trip in bad weather. "It almost broke my waist," she told Xinhua. She also recalled the crowded boat and the fact that many passengers were not wearing life jackets.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has demanded all-out search and rescue efforts for the 28 Chinese nationals on a boat that sank off Malaysia's Sabah state on North Borneo on Saturday evening.

According to an official release issued on Sunday, Xi asked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Chinese Embassy in Malaysia to maintain close contact and cooperation with authorities of Malaysia, and China's transport and tourism authorities to activate emergency measures immediately to assist the rescue.

(Source: Xinhua) ‍

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