CAPSIZED BOAT INCIDENT: FIVE MORE BODIES FOUND TODAY

LANGKAWI, Nov 10 (Bernama) -- The ongoing search and rescue (SAR) operation for victims of a capsized boat carrying illegal immigrants in the waters of the Malaysia-Thailand border retrieved five more bodies today.

The find brings the total number of drowned victims found in Malaysian waters since the search operation was launched to 12, with 13 survivors safely back on land.

Kedah and Perlis Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) director First Admiral Romli Mustafa said the first body found today by the MMEA was of a boy about two nautical miles southwest of Tanjung Belua at 12.47 pm.

“A few minutes later, Boat FCB 1331 of the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) found the body of an adult man before handing it to police at the MMEA Jetty.

“Shortly after that, the Malaysian Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM) found the body of a woman three nautical miles northwest of Pulau Rebak Besar, and took it to Harbour Park Jetty," he said in a statement today.

He said at 3.31 pm, the RMN’s KD Ledang found another woman’s body, while the Marine Police found a male body, which was taken to the Harbour Park jetty for further action.

According to him, the search sector has now been expanded to 255.66 square nautical miles, involving various sea and air assets from the MMEA, RMN, Marine Police Force, JBPM and Malysian Civil Defence Force.

Previously, Romli said the Thai authorities also found six bodies in the country's waters yesterday.

Today's SAR operation was postponed at 7.30 pm due to nightfall and rough seas and will resume tomorrow morning.

-- BERNAMA