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35 missing as another boat sinks off Malaysia

By AFP | Jun. 19, 2014 at 09:01pm

KUALA LUMPUR—Malaysian authorities on Thursday were searching for 35 people missing at sea following two boat accidents at a time when many illegal migrant workers head home to Indonesia for the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.

In the latest incident early Thursday, nine people were missing off western Malaysia after a boat believed to be bound for the Indonesian island of Sumatra sank near the district of Sepang, south of the capital Kuala Lumpur, The Star daily reported.

Eighteen people were rescued, it said, quoting Mohamad Hambali Yaakup, an official with the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA).

The accident came to light as authorities expanded a search for survivors of another boat — also bound for Sumatra — that sank just up the coast with 97 Indonesians aboard early on Wednesday.

Nine bodies have been found after that accident, while 26 remain missing, though officials believe some of them made it to land — it sank near the Malaysian shore — and fled the area to avoid being apprehended by authorities.

Authorities have not yet determined the cause of either accident, but the boat that sank Wednesday was likely carrying three times more passengers than it could safely transport, officials said.

“The boat is too small to ferry 97 people. The boat must have been very cramped,” said MMEA spokesman Mohamad Zuhri, adding that its capacity was likely around 30 passengers.

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Banting boat mishap: Nine dead, 61 rescued

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Banting boat mishap: 5 dead, 60 rescued, 32 still missing http://dlvr.it/629Yq7

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Star

Wednesday June 18, 2014 MYT 3:48:37 PM

Banting boat mishap: Bad weather may have caused sinking, say police

by jastin ahmad tarmizi

BANTING: Wednesday morning’s sinking of a boat off Sungai Air Hitam is believed to have been caused by a storm, said Kuala Langat OCPD Supt Azman Abdul Razak.

He added that the capacity of the boat is believed to be 50 to 60 persons although it is understood that there were an estimated 97 people onboard.

Supt Azman added that while police were still investigating where the boat was headed, it is believed that the boat originated in Pulau Carey and en route to Acheh, Indonesia.

He added that 31 survivors were found Wednesday morning by the Customs Department while the rest of the survivors had been brought to the Kuala Langat district police headquarters for investigations.

Supt Azman said police were investigating the passengers under the Anti-Trafficking in Persons (ATIP) Act 2003 while trying to ascertain their identities.

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Banting boat mishap: Three dead, 58 rescued, 37 still missing, says Shahidan http://dlvr.it/622zxP 

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Boat capsized in Banting, 2 bodies recovered http://english.astroawani.com/news/show/boat-capsized-in-banting-2-bodies-recovered-37922 … via @501Awani @RaungSingosari

KUALA LUMPUR: The latest development as of 11.30am, the bodies of a man and a woman have been recovered, while 35 people remain unaccounted for and feared dead, after a boat carrying a total of 97 people capsized off the western coast of Selangor, near Sungai Air Hitam, Banting.

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Update : Total survivors (At the moment) : 42 man, 12 woman, one kid #TongkangKaram #Banting

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