At least nine people have died after a boat sank on Monday morning off the coast of Malaysia's southern state of Johor. The capsized boat is believed to have been ferrying illegal immigrants from Indonesia, local media reports said. Several people are reported missing and a search is on.
The immigrant boat, carrying about 40 people from Indonesia, flipped off Tanjung Leman, Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) Southern region operations deputy director Captain Saiful Lizan said, according to The New Straits Times.
"So far nine bodies, comprising three men and six women, all yet to be identified, have been found washed ashore at the Tanjung Leman beach by beach-goers," Saiful said.
According to reports, more than 70 personnel are involved in the search and rescue operation that will continue until 7 pm on Monday. It will again resume on Tuesday morning from 7 am.
In November 2016, a speedboat, believed to be carrying illegal Indonesian migrant workers, sank near Batam Island, south of Singapore killing 20 people.
