Three of 25 Chinese tourists rescued after their boat sank off the coast of Malaysia have died, while six people are still missing, according to Ahmad Puzi Ab Kahar, Director General of the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency.

‍The Malaysian tourist boat was carrying 31 people, including 28 Chinese nationals and three Malaysian crew members, and set off at 09:00 a.m. Beijing time on Saturday from Sabah State, Borneo. 

Shahidan Kassim, a minister in the prime minister's cabinet, told a press conference earlier that 23 tourists had been rescued by tug boats and fishermen, after two crew members were saved.

The two Malaysian crew members were picked up in nearby waters, and were able to alert authorities to the boat's sinking. An ongoing rescue operation is underway for the six remaining missing people.

Contact with the boat was lost after a distress call was received by the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency. The New Strait Times reported that rescue workers are searching an area covering more than 1370 square kilometers for the boat, which was traveling from Kota Kinabalu to the island of Pulau Mengalum.

Chinese President Xi Jinping demanded all-out search and rescue efforts for the missing passengers. He asked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Chinese Embassy in Malaysia to maintain close contact and cooperation with the Malaysian authorities, and called for China's transport and tourism authorities to activate emergency measures immediately to assist the rescue. ‍

Besides the two crew members who were rescued, the Chinese Consulate said that the third crew member helped some Chinese passengers stay together while drifting in the sea, in order to stay afloat.

China’s National Tourism Administration immediately called for emergency action after receiving a call on Saturday night from the Chinese Consulate, calling for all relevant information to be reported immediately. An emergency group was immediately formed. China’s ambassador to Malaysia Huang Huikang urged the Malaysian naval police and army to maximize efforts for the search operation.

The consulate office said the search and rescue operation was still ongoing, despite Malaysian authorities earlier saying the joint rescue effort by the maritime enforcement agency, navy and air force had been hampered by bad weather.

On Twitter, Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak said he is closely watching the developments of the rescue operation.

Malaysian authorities dispatched ten boats and two helicopters to aid the ongoing search and rescue operation.

Kota Kinabalu is the capital of Sabah state on Borneo island, east Malaysia. It is a major tourist destination and a popular gateway for travelers. The boat’s sinking coincides with China’s Spring Festival holiday, which this year is expected to see a record number of tourists travel overseas. 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.