By MEERA VIJAYAN
KOTA TINGGI: Five bodies, including those of two boys, have been recovered from the sea after a boat carrying 14 illegal Indonesian immigrants capsized in stormy weather.
At least two people survived while seven others are still missing following the tragedy in waters off Tanjung Sepang in Sungai Rengit early Sunday morning.
Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (APMM) Southern Region commander First Admiral Che Hassan Jusoh said the two survivors swam to Pulau Lima and contacted police at 8am that morning.
Che Hassan confirmed that a woman's body was found off Tanjung Penawar at 1.50pm yesterday, about six nautical miles from Tanjung Sepang.
The other bodies were recovered at 3.30pm off Tanjung Punggai.
“The boat has not been recovered,” he said adding that the bodies of the victims had been sent to the Kota Tinggi general hospital.
Che Hassan said Tanjung Sepang was one of many landing sites for illegal immigrants entering Johor.
Kota Tinggi deputy OCPD Dept Supt Muhammad Shamsudin confirmed that two men made a police report on Sunday morning claiming that their boat had capsized at around 6am.
“They said they were on their way to Sungai Rengit from Batam when strong waves hit their boat.”
Fisherman Osman Mohee, 45, said he found two bodies floating at sea on Sunday morning.
“At first I thought it was just floating rubbish but when we got nearer we were horrified to see two bodies,” he said, adding that it was raining at that time and the sea was choppy.
The bodies were that of a man and a woman.
Osman could not fish out the bodies as he did not have the necessary equipment. The authorities were alerted upon his return to shore.
