Two fishermen feared drowned off Pulau Undan

MELAKA: Two local fishermen are feared to have drowned after going out to sea off Pulau Undan in the Straits of Melaka on Wednesday.

Melaka Fire and Rescue Department deputy operations director Muhammad Izwan Arief Mat Nor said that based on initial information, the two men are Ahmad Norizan Mohamad, 37, and his friend known as Wan, who is in his 30s.

He said the department received a call from the public regarding the incident at 11.26 am yesterday. Seven personnel and a fire engine from the Padang Temu fire station arrived at the location two minutes later.

"The search and rescue (SAR) operation was assisted by the Melaka Tengah Water Rescue Unit (PPDA), police, Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) as well as the Marine Department and comprised of 36 personnel.

"The operation began at 2.17 pm and was suspended at 7.04 pm. The search radius was around eight to 10 nautical miles from the Padang Temu fishermen’s jetty,” he told Bernama when contacted yesterday.

He added that initial investigations revealed that both victims were reported to have gone out to sea on Jan 13 before the victim’s family lodged a police report on Saturday evening.

He said the fibre boat used by the victims was seen by passing fishermen off the Pulau Undan waters, about eight nautical miles from the jetty, on the same day (Jan 13).

Muhammad Izwan Arief said they would continue the search operation at about 6.45 am today and that air surveillance would also be conducted using a helicopter.

-- BERNAMA