Photo credit: The Jakarta Post
A boat carrying 37 undocumented migrants believed to be from Indonesia sank off Pangkor island on Malaysia’s west coast, leaving 14 people still missing, maritime authorities said.
Gulf News reports that the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) in Perak said it was alerted early Monday by a local fisherman who found the survivors floating at sea.
“Initial investigations… found that the total number of migrants on the boat was 37. So far, 123 victims have been rescued while efforts are ongoing to locate the remaining individuals,” Mohamad Shukri Khotob, LPerak MMEA director said in a statement issued late Monday night.
He said the agency has deployed boats, a helicopter and surveillance aircraft to search for the missing.
Those who were rescued have been handed over to the police for further investigation.
Malaysia is home to millions of migrants from poorer parts of Asia, many of them undocumented working in industries including construction and agriculture.
However, crossings facilitated by human traffickers are often hazardous leading to boats capsizing.
