18 rescued after boat capsizes near Langkawi
Sign up now: Get insights on the biggest stories in Malaysia
KUALA LUMPUR • Eighteen people missing at sea near the Malaysian holiday island of Langkawi were rescued, officials said yesterday, after their boat capsized due to bad weather.
The coast guard said 14 anglers and four crew members were picked up by fishermen late on Saturday after their boat vanished earlier that afternoon, triggering a search.
Senior coast guard official Mohamad Zawawi Abdullah said a combined effort by the authorities and local fishermen saw the victims safely rescued after their boat capsized because of strong waves.
"A fishing vessel came and rescued them. (The fishermen) found them in the area (where they were lost)," he said.
He said two of the anglers suffered injuries - one with a suspected broken leg, while the other injured his hand.
"The rest are fine. However, all of them will undergo a medical examination as well," he was quoted by Bernama as saying.
Small boats can sometimes find themselves in danger on Malaysia's western coast because of strong waves and bad weather.
Malaysia's meteorological department warned over the weekend of heavy and continuous rain in the country's northern states.
A Kedah Meteorological Office spokesman told Bernama yesterday: "Anglers and owners of small boats are advised not to go to sea today and tomorrow... We do not want a recurrence of the boat sinking incident."
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE