The actual number of people still missing in the catamaran-capsize incident is five, and not six as reported earlier.

Sabah Commissioner of Police Datuk Ramli Din said investigations revealed that one of those listed in the list of those still missing did not board the boat on Saturday.

“Instead of 28, as earlier reported, there were only 27 Chinese tourists who boarded the boat on Saturday. The 33-year-old who was going to join the trip with his family cancelled plans to do so after seeing that the boat was fully occupied,” he said in a press conference here yesterday.

The man was identified as Lee Kun, who was earlier listed as one of those still missing. Therefore, added Ramli, there were only four tourists still unaccounted for and one boat crew member. The 20 surviving Chinese nationals escaped the tragedy with minor injuries. Three tourists were found dead on Sunday.

Ramli said 12 of them received the ‘green zone’ treatment at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital’s Emergency and Trauma unit while the other eight who suffered more serious injuries such as burns and had trouble walking, were treated in the ‘yellow zone’.

“Most of them are fine except for exhaustion,” he said.

Police had also arrested the 44-year-old owner and manager of the company that owns the catamaran that capsized on Saturday, police said. Ramli said the local man was detained at 4pm yesterday and would be remanded to facilitate investigation. This followed the arrest of two crew members who were the first two survivors of the incident retrieved at 9pm on Sunday, bringing the total number of those arrested to assist in the investigation to three.

“We are investigating the case from all angles; whether or not the boat operator had heeded all safety regulations or if negligence was involved, including capacity of passengers, safety equipment, etc.,” he said, adding that the police were investigating the case under Section 304 A of the Penal Code for causing death by negligence.

The catamaran left Tanjung Aru Jetty at about 9am, headed for Pulau Mengalum, located some two hours’ boat ride away from the city centre. The vessel capsized some eight nautical miles later, purportedly due to bad weather and choppy waves.

A police report on the missing boat was however only lodged at 9.50pm on Saturday, and survivors endured a 32-hour ordeal before they were rescued by local fishermen in Semarang waters.

Meanwhile, none of the missing persons were found as of 5pm yesterday.

“We have not found anything. We will continue with the search,” said Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) director-general Admiral Maritime Datuk Seri Ahmad Puzi Ab Kahar during a press conference yesterday.

He said they had doubled the assets involved in the search and rescue mission for the remaining victims from the capsized boat which entered the third day yesterday.

He said 20 assets comprising six air assets and the remaining, surface assets were deployed.

Also deployed were aircraft with night surveillance capabilities, he added.

Ahmad said the search was carried out by air as well as by sea.

The search area had also been increased from 400 nautical square miles to 2,500 nautical square miles, he said.

“We believe they will be moving towards the west, hence the search area has been widened,” he said.

Search had also been extended into Brunei waters by the relevant authorities in Brunei, he said.

Additionally, there were also a lot of fishing boats present at the search area yesterday, he said.

Ahmad added the weather condition was favourable yesterday and hoped that it would be able to facilitate the search for the remaining missing passengers and crew.

He also said their aircraft took off for the search and rescue mission as early at 5.30am yesterday.

“If the sea is choppy, then we will have to increase our efforts. The condition will also require one to have physical endurance,” he said.

The director-general declined to make any assumptions concerning the incident and said the focus was finding the remaining missing people.

Source:
courtesy of THE BORNEO POST

by Amy Dangin and Jenne Lajiun

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