Indonesians Missing After Boat Sinks

Dozens of Indonesian migrant workers are still missing after a boat capsized off Malaysia. According to rescue officials, so far at least 55 people have been rescued and two bodies have been recovered.

The wooden boat sank around midnight (16:00 Tuesday) off Port Klang, near Banting in the Strait of Malacca. According to a spokesman for the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency, passengers were illegal migrants and included women and children.

One rescue boat has gone to the area and two more are being deployed, with five further vessels and a helicopter searching for survivors.

The intended destination of the boat is still not clear. Maritime officials had initially said passengers were trying to enter Malaysia, while others said they were working in Malaysia illegally and were returning home for the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Authorities said those who were rescued had no travel documents and the boat itself was not authorized for ocean voyages.

Thousands of Indonesians come to Malaysia to work illegally in plantations and other industries, often risking their lives to return home by sea. 

*Image credits: Wikimedia commons, Flickr/Alec Wilson
*Original story: BBC News via Google News (search term: news)