Saturday November 28, 2009
Three drown in boat tragedy, four still missing
KOTA KINABALU: Three people drowned and four are reportedly missing after a wooden motorised cargo boat with 20 passengers and crew capsized in bad weather off Pulau Banggi in Sabah’s northern Kudat peninsula.
They are said to be on their way back to their hometowns to celebrate Hari Raya Aidiladha.
The dead were two women – Ameng Nordin, 72, and another identified only as Susan – while the third victim was an unidentified man.
Air and sea search is ongoing for those missing in the incident that occurred at about 8.30pm on Thursday between Kudat mainland and Kerakit town on the island.
Thirteen survivors clung on to wood and other floating objects before passing fishermen and police rescued them.
Kudat district police chief Deputy Supt Dawi Ossen said yesterday that the search and rescue operation would continue.
The vessel is believed to be carrying 80 bags of cement (50kg each), 200 litres of water and 20 tins of paint. It left Kudat at 4.30pm before being hit by strong currents and bad weather about two nautical miles from the island.
“The survivors told us that they hung on to timber pieces to stay afloat before they were picked up by fishermen,” DSP Dawi said, adding that Generation Operations Force personnel also rescued some survivors in the Inaruntung area near the island.
Navy helicopters, police fixed wings and patrol boats from the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency and marine police are combing the area for possible survivors.
Kudat MP Datuk Abdul Rahim Bakri, who is Deputy Transport Minister, said the waters off Pulau Banggi was quite treacherous especially in the evenings and under the current bad weather conditions.
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