KUALA LUMPUR (Malaysia) - SIX members of a Pakistani family and three others drowned when their excursion boat capsized off southern Malaysia, officials said on Wednesday. A 14-year-old boy from the family survived.

The family, from Quetta, Pakistan, was on holiday and had hired the 'small overloaded boat' in southern Johor state for a pleasure trip, said Qamar Bashir, the Pakistani High Commission spokesman. It capsized on Tuesday.

He said the dead included the boy's mother, three uncles, a 12-year-old brother and an 11-year-old sister. The boy's father had died earlier.

The identities of the other three victims has not been established but one of them is believed to be the boatman, said Johor marine police chief Mohamad Khamsani Abdul Rahman. All nine bodies have been recovered.

The lone survivor, 14-year-old Aqeel Qirkeel, was rescued by a passing vessel, clinging to his mother's body. Aqeel told his rescuers that he floated for 12 hours at sea, Mohamad Khamsani said.

He said stormy weather and choppy seas may have caused the boat to sink. Police were investigating. -- AP