Military ships and aircraft conducted search and rescue operations at an area of 2,400 square nautical miles off Sabah, Malaysia, after a boat carrying 28 tourists sank in rough weather. (Photo : Getty Images)
Three Chinese tourists on board a catamaran which sank off the coast of Sabah state in Malaysia were confirmed dead early Monday after being found by search and rescue personnel.
The Chinese nationals were among the 25 people rescued so far while six people remain missing, said Ahmad Puzi Ab Kahar, Director General of Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency.
The bodies of the tourists and those rescued landed in the state capital of Kota Kinabalu on Monday morning and taken to nearby hospitals for treatment.
Family members of the rescued and missing tourists also arrived in Kota Kinabalu early on Monday and were escorted by Chinese embassy officials.
Chen Peijie, Chinese Consulate General in Kota Kinabalu, told the Xinhua News Agency that the Chinese tourists who survived the sinking suffered various degrees of injuries.
Chinese President Xi Jinping offered assistance and neighboring Brunei deployed a helicopter and naval assets to help in the search.
Shahidan Kassim, a minister in the Malaysia's Prime Minister's Department, told the press on Sunday night that 23 people were rescued by tug boats and fishermen, while the captain and crew members of were found earlier on Sunday.
The captain said the boat was 'broken' by strong waves before sinking, according to Shahidan.
"All the tourists were tied together and were carried away by the currents," he added.
Police have detained the boat captain and a crewman for questioning, according to local media reports.
The catamaran was reported missing on Saturday when traveling from Kota Kinabalu to Pulau Mengalum, a popular tourist destination during the Lunar New Year. A total of 31 people were on board, including 28 tourists from China and three crew members, according to maritime officials.
Shahidan said the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency, maritime police as well as the Malaysian navy and air force have joined in the search and rescue efforts.
Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak called for a full investigation of the tragedy.
"However, at the moment we must concentrate fully on the search and rescue efforts for six more victims who have not yet been found," he said in a press statement.
