SANDAKAN: The search and rescue (SAR) operation for victims in a boat that capsized in the waters of Pulau Nunuyan recently continued yesterday.
According to the Sandakan Zone Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) in a statement here, the S&R was resumed at 7am and involved a search area of 187 nautical miles.
Three assets have been mobilised by MMEA to search for the five victims still missing in the incident which occurred about 6pm last Thursday.
A total of 111 personnel are involved in the operation, including from the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN), the Marine Police and the Malaysian Civil Defence Force.
The five victims still missing are two men, aged 28 and 38, a 42-year-old woman and two girls, aged eight and one.
At 12.15pm on Friday five victims, comprising two men and three women, were rescued by the Royal Malaysian Navy and four hours later, the body of a seven-year-old boy, believed to be one of the victims of the boat capsize, was found.
The boat was believed to be from Taganak Island in the Philippines and on its way to Sandakan when it capsized. – Bernama