SEMPORNA – Five individuals were found drowned when a pump boat carrying 20 passengers capsized off Pulau Tandoan, Timbun Mata near here late yesterday.
Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) director for the Semporna Maritime Zone, Norrimi Hassan said 13 of the passengers were rescued by villagers, while two others are still missing.
He said the victims still missing were identified as 14-year-old girl, known as Noranis, and a 6-year-old boy, known only as Aiman, both from Kg Sg Nakit near here.
On the drowned victims that were found, he said, they were aged between one and 33 years and involved two women, two girls and a boy.
“All the 20 passengers in the boat are believed to be locals and they were from Kg Bakung Bakung going to Kg Tandoan. The boat is also believed to be overloaded and the weather then was not good,” he said when contacted by reporters here today.
He also said that the search and rescue (SAR) operation was activated at 11.45pm yesterday.
Pulau Tandoan is about 4km from Semporna, a district on the east coast of Sabah.
Norrimi said the SAR operation involved 11 MMEA personnel and two boats.
“Also involved in the SAR mission are five firefighters and the search covers the area along Terusan Sigalong to Timbun Mata,” he added.
Meanwhile, the MMEA Carilamat Forward Base was opened at the tourist jetty in Semporna. – Bernama, April 15, 2022
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