Four more bodies from capsized boat found in Mersing

Four more bodies were found Tuesday, bringing to the number of casualties from the boat capsize incident in the waters of Tanjung Rhu here the day before, to 14.

Mersing district police chief, DSP Cyril Edward Nuing said the body of a man and woman were found floating about four nautical miles from Tanjung Rhu at 4.40pm by navy personnel conducting a patrol there.

Earlier at noon, the bodies of two men were found without identity documents by a search-and-rescue (SAR) team at Tanjung Leman beach, here. The bodies were sent to Mersing Hospital.

In the incident about 4am yesterday, a boat believed to be carrying 40 people from Batam, Indonesia, tried to enter Malaysia before it capsized after being hit by strong waves.

The bodies of 10 foreign nationals, four men and six women, were found on the beach on Monday.

However, another two victims, a man and a woman, aged 28 and 20 respectively, were found safe.

Nuing said the SAR operation involved members of the police, Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency, Civil Defence Force and Malaysian Armed Forces. -- Bernama