Death toll from Indonesian boat accident off Malaysia hits 18

Officials inspect a boat that capsized and killed some of the people onboard in Kota Tinggi, Malaysia, on Dec 15, 2021. PHOTO: REUTERS
People search Tanjung Balau beach in Kota Tinggi, Malaysia, on Dec 15, 2021. PHOTO: REUTERS

JOHOR BARU (AFP, REUTERS) - The death toll from a boat accident off Malaysia rose to 18 Thursday (Dec 16) after a search and rescue team found the bodies of seven more Indonesian migrants on the shore.

The vessel, which was carrying about 50 Indonesians seeking to enter neighbouring Malaysia illegally, capsized Wednesday in stormy weather off the southern state of Johor.

Soldiers on patrol found 11 victims on the shore in the hours after the accident, and the bodies of five more men and two women were recovered Thursday, the coastguard said.

Eighteen migrants are believed to still be missing, and authorities have deployed boats and an aircraft to hunt for them.

Another 14 people survived the accident, and have been taken into custody.

Indonesians desperate for work sometimes try to enter neighbouring Malaysia illegally by making sea crossings in rickety boats, but accidents happen regularly.

Relatively affluent Malaysia is home to millions of migrants from poorer parts of Asia, many of them undocumented, and they work in industries including construction and agriculture.

According to Jakarta-based rights group Migrant CARE, between 100,000 and 200,000 Indonesians travel illegally to Malaysia each year for work, many of them recruited by trafficking gangs.

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