Unsolved Mysteries of South-east Asia | The Straits Times podcast series

What happened to Flight MH370 after it vanished shortly after takeoff from Kuala Lumpur? Is there really a ghost ship in the Malacca Straits?

These are just some of the unsolved mysteries in South-east Asia that continue to leave more questions than answers and baffle scientists and experts even today.

Recap this five-part podcast series that dives into some of the greatest unsolved mysteries in the region, examining the underlying issues that these events have exposed and how they reflect the societies

The screaming schoolgirls of Kelantan

On July 18, 2018, students at SMK Ketereh in Kelantan gathered for assembly when the quiet air was shattered by the piercing screams of schoolgirls. Many of them claimed they saw a tall, dark figure lurking in their midst. Faith healers were summoned for an exorcism. What did they really see? ST revisits the spate of mass hysteria in Kelantan, a state in Malaysia's north-east and finds out why the disorder is more prevalent among schoolgirls.

The Mekong River's 'serpent' fire

Every year at the end of Thailand’s rainy season, the Mekong river is greeted by a spectacular sight. Glowing red and orange fireballs mysteriously emerge from the river, rise hundreds of feet into the air and vanish. ST Indochina bureau chief Tan Hui Yee investigates this phenomenon to see if the fireballs are indeed the breath of a fabled serpent dwelling in this sacred river.

The ghost ship in the Strait of Malacca

Some time in the 1930s or 40s, a cargo ship sailing in the Strait of Malacca sent out a distress signal. But when rescuers boarded the stricken ship, its crew were found dead. Their faces frozen in fear and panic. As the ship was being towed to shore, it mysteriously exploded and sank. Despite numerous newspaper reports detailing the incident, nobody has found a shred of evidence that the vessel had even existed.

For three-quarters of a century now, the mystery of the 'Ourang Medan ghost ship' has caught the imagination of many a historian, ghostbuster, novelist, and a video game producer. ST correspondent Linda Yulisman revisits this bewilding seafaring mystery to find out what might have led to the ship's demise and why the world's most treacherous waterway remains dangerous today

General Yamashita's lost gold

For decades, treasure hunters in the Philippines have searched tunnels, jungles and caves for a fabled plunder that Japanese General Tomoyuki Yamashita is believed to have hidden in the waning days of World War II. What have they discovered?

ST's correspondent Raul Dancel revisits their trails to find out why this fascination for fabulous treasures persist among Filipinos and how the recent stunning ascent of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos’ son to political prominence, is fuelling that obsession.

Disappearance of MH370

Eight years after the disappearance of MH370, experts, scientists and conspiracy theorists have continued to churn out explanations about how the plane had vanished. ST's correspondent Hazlin Hassan examines why MH370 theories persist.

Also check out ST's interactive special on MH370 where we deep dive into two key theories surrounding its disappearance here.

Listen to back episodes of The Unsolved Mysteries Of South-east Asia podcast series here:

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