3 dead and four missing after boat capsizes off Sabah (Update)

KOTA KINABALU, 27 Nov 2009: Three people are dead and four still missing when a small wooden boat with 20 passengers and crew capsized in bad weather off Pulau Banggi in Sabah's northern Kudat peninsular.
The bodies of two woman - a 72-year-old woman and an unidentified woman, were recovered while the search continues for the four missing passengers.
Thirteen others managed to remain afloat until passing fishermen rescued them and took them to Pulau Banggi after the boat capsized in waters between Kudat mainland and Kerakit town on the island at about 5.40pm Thursday.
Kudat district police Deputy Supt Dawi Ossen, when confirming the recovery of three bodies including two in the Meruntung area near Pitas peninsular, said that the search for the missing four would continue.
According to details given by survivors to police in Kerakit, the cargo boat (similar to a trawler and locally known as boat kampung) was carrying cement and bricks and 20 people on board, including crewmembers.
At the moment, Air Force Nuri helicopters, police fixed wings and patrol boats from the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency and marine police are combing the northern sea in search of the four missing persons.
Dawi said police were still trying to identify victims whose bodies were taken to Banggi island while most of the survivors were also still at the island.
"Our main focus is rescue," he said without wanting to go into details of whether the boat was overloaded.
He said the boat left Kudat at about 4.30pm and was hit by strong currents and bad weather an hour later about two nautical miles from the island.
"Survivors told us that they hung on to timber pieces to stay afloat before they were picked up by passing boats later in the evening," he added.
He said a rescue operations was immediately launched when the police were alerted but bad weather and nightfall had made it difficult for any progress in the search.
Local villagers from the island routinely use such kampung boats between the island and the mainland Kudat where they work and also obtain most of their daily supplies including cooking gas.
Kudat MP Datuk Abdul Rahim Bakri, who is Deputy Transport Minister said that the victims were rushing back to the island for the Hari Raya celebration.
"The waters of Pulau Banggi is quite treacherous especially in the evenings and the current bad weather weather conditions," he said, adding that the would assist the victims.