Five still missing after boat sinks in Malaysia, investigation underway

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Five people, including four Chinese tourists and a Malaysian crew member, are still unaccounted for after a tourist boat sank off Malaysia's coast in Sabah state on North Borneo on Sunday with 30 people on board.

The missing number was revised down from six after Sabah police confirmed that one Chinese tourist hadn’t boarded the sunken boat as initially thought. Twenty-two people were rescued – including 20 Chinese tourists and two crew members – and had been treated for sun burns and dehydration. Three people have been confirmed dead.

Rescuers prepare to search for missing Chinese tourists off Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia, January 30, 2017. /Xinhua Photo

Chief Ramli Din said the boat’s captain had been arrested for manslaughter, together with the two crew members who were saved from the water on Sunday.

The head of the firm that owns the sunken boat has also been detained pending further investigation.

Malaysia has expanded the search area for the missing, with neighboring Brunei also joining the effort.

A file photo of the sunken boat

The Chinese Foreign Ministry on Monday asked Malaysia to maintain its search and rescue effort for the missing Chinese and report any developments promptly.

Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak said on social media that he took the tragedy seriously and wanted a detailed investigation to find out the cause of the accident.

The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency first received a distress call from the boat on Sunday, but contact was then lost.

The Malaysian state of Sabah on Borneo island is a popular tourist destination for Chinese tourists. The boat’s sinking occurred during the Spring Festival holiday, a major travel season for Chinese. Ctrip – China’s biggest online travel agency – estimated that six million Chinese travelers would head abroad for this year’s Spring Festival, with Malaysia predicted to be the sixth most popular destination.