Police Air Unit required to assist in search of capsized boat

Kelantan police chief, Datuk Hasanuddin Hassan said, the assistance was needed as it had been a futile search so far, made worse by the strong currents and winds, apart from the fact that the SAR teams were unreachable.

"Right now we are still unsure where the boat is as we can’t contact the SAR teams as they are not within the coverage area.

“So the next plan of action is to call Bukit Aman for a helicopter service to help locate the boat which has gone adrift, " he told reporters at the fishing jetty in Kuala Kemasin here today.

Hasanuddin said, the capsized boat could not be anchored because it would be detrimental should there be survivors in the boat.

"If the boat has capsized the victims may still be underneath and there is a chance for them to still be alive, " he said.

Meanwhile, Hasanuddin said, the police have yet to open an investigation paper into the incident as focus was on the SAR operation.

He said 42 personnel from the Marine Police Force, Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (APMM) and the Kelantan Fisheries Department are involved in the operation which was mounted since last night.

He called on fishermen to avoid going out to sea for the moment due to the unpredictable weather and rough seas, especially during the night.

Yesterday, a boat carrying 20 people including the skipper and crew, aged between 18 and 60 years, capsized following a storm about 10 nautical miles from the Kuala Kemasin Base Jetty.

In the 8 pm incident, four of them were found drowned, four still missing and another 12 were confirmed to be safe.