No sign of missing crewmen as search enters third day

MUAR: Divers have searched almost 70% of the rear portion of a capsized sand-dredger off Johor but have yet to find any of the 14 missing crewmen though they continued to hear knocking sounds from within the vessel about 12 nautical miles from Tanjung Tohor here.
Southern Region Maritime director First Admiral Datuk Abu Bakar Idris said today the search was conducted from about midnight until early today in the crew quarters on the upper level and part of the engine room on the lower level of the JBB Rong Chang 8 that capsized two days ago.
One crewman was found dead and three were rescued following the capsizing of the vessel that had 18 crewmen, one of the Malaysian and 17 foreigners, on board.
Abu Bakar said the 12 divers, from the Royal Malaysian Navy and private companies, took turns to search the vessel, with each diver allowed 90 minutes per dive in the waters where visibility was poor.
"The divers did not find any of the missing crew but reported having kept hearing knocking sounds from within the vessel. As such, we believe there are people alive down there," he said at a press conference here.
Abu Bakar said the search-and-rescue operation, which entered the third day today, would focus on the dining area, engine room and store in the middle of the vessel where there was a possibility of finding anyone.
He also said that the RMN had brought in five more divers to make the total number 17.
The rescuers had also requested the Malaysian Armed Forces to send a medical team to be stationed at the main rescue vessel to render immediate aid once the crewmen were brought to the surface.
Asked whether the rescuers would take the third approach of boring into the vessel to rescue the crewmen, he said a decision would be made later today.
"We had a discussion on that this morning. That will be the last resort if the drivers fail to find anyone. In any case, the decision will be based on the advice of the engineer of the vessel," he said. — Bernama