Sunday November 29, 2009
Boat tragedy: Two more bodies found
By MUGUNTAN VANAR
KOTA KINABALU: Hopes of finding more survivors from Thursday’s capsize of a wooden cargo vessel are growing dim as rescuers recovered two more bodies in the treacherous Banggi waters off northern Sabah.
By 3pm yesterday, searchers had recovered the bodies of Akif Mazlan Zaini, six, and Haizum Nazirah Sudin, 18, floating close to where the boat had capsized, taking the death toll to five – all of them family members of former assemblyman Yahya Othman, 61.
The body of Akif’s father Mazlan Zaini, 40, was discovered on Friday.
With another 10 family members still missing, the death toll could be as high as 15.
Wahadir Hamdani showing some of the injuries he sustained in Thursday’s boat capsize The initial police figure of missing was put at four on Friday but was raised to 12 yesterday after distraught family members gave police a clearer picture of the number of people on board the vessel.
While hopes of rescuing any of the remaining missing people begin to fade, an intensive search continues in the area by Pulau Banggi and Pulau Molleoangan.
Kudat police chief Deputy Supt Dawi Ossen said that police had identified the area where the boat had capsized as near Pulau Molleoangan, about two nautical miles off Pulau Banggi.
Divers had searched the vessel – that was carrying 28 people including three crew members and 21 family members of Yahya – but did not find any one trapped in it.
Thirteen, including the crew members, were rescued by passing fishermen after nearly six hours at sea while two bodies were recovered just hours after the vessel, which was also laden with cement, fresh water and paint capsized.
Yahya, a native of Banggi and a former Berjaya nominated assemblyman and his family members, hailing from Papar, were heading to the island to celebrate Hari Raya Aidiladha.
Yahya, who survived, told the story of how his daughter had slipped from his clutches and drifted away as he clung on to a piece of wood before being rescued by fishermen.
The search has involved the marine police, police air wing, Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency, navy and army.
Yahya is urging rescuers to continue searching for his relatives.
DSP Dawi said the police were questioning the skipper and crew of the 16m-long boat.
Deputy Transport Minister Datuk Abdul Rahim Bakri, who is Kudat MP, said he would ask for a report from related agencies and wanted immediate steps to check on the safety of the boats plying the route.
“The ferry service is important to the people of Pulau Banggi to travel between the island and Kudat. We should ensure the ferries are sufficiently and regularly maintained,” he said, adding that the current in the waters of Banggi was dangerous.
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