MALAYSIA:-A boat carrying 31 people, including at
least 28 Chinese tourists, has gone missing off the Malaysian coast, maritime
authorities say.
The
boat lost contact after departing the eastern state of Sabah on Saturday.
The
Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency said search and rescue efforts were being
hampered by bad weather.
The
incident coincides with the first day of China's week-long Lunar New Year
celebration, which is also marked by ethnic Chinese in Malaysia.
The
catamaran boat left Kota Kinabalu on Saturday at 09:00 local time (01:00 GMT)
and was heading towards Pulau Mengalum, a popular tourist island 60km (37
miles) west of the city.
The
Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency said it received a distress call from the
boat but contact was lost soon after.
"I,
like all the relatives of those on board, am hoping for progress in the search
and rescue operation," the tourism minister for Sabah state, Masidi Manun,
told the AFP news agency.
The
search area covers 400 nautical square miles between Kota Kinabalu and Pulau
Mengalum, according to the New
Strait Times.Storms
are common in the area at this time of year.
Three
crew members were on board the vessel, alongside the 31 passengers.
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