KOTA KINABALU • A boat carrying a Spanish couple and two others which went missing in the waters off northern Sabah is confirmed to have capsized, following the recovery of a speedboat engine by fishermen.

The group had been on a two-hour boat ride from the island of Pulau Balambangan to Simpang Mengayau, more popularly known as the Tip of Borneo, when their boat went missing last Monday.

The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency's Sabah and Labuan regional director Mohd Zubil Mat Som said family members confirmed the engine retrieved by fishermen on Sunday belonged to the boat used by Tanjung Simpang Mengayau resort owner Tommy Lam Wai Yin.

"We are sure now that the boat capsized about 2.6 nautical miles from Pulau Balambangan," First Admiral Zubil said, adding that they were still continuing their search for the four missing passengers.

He added that, according to the fishermen, the entire boat was trapped in their nets, which tore as they pulled.

The four missing have been identified as Spaniards David Hernandez Gasulla, 29; his wife Martha Miguel, 30; Mr Lam, 44, and his employee Armella Ali Hassan, 23.

THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK