KOTA BHARU: Three more Vietnamese crew of a boat which capsized two days ago were found safe at an abandoned oil rig close to the Malaysia-Thailand border, near Pasir Puteh, yesterday, according to the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA).
Kelantan MMEA director Captain (Maritime) Muhd Nur Syam Asmawie Yaacob said skipper Tee Lee Van Chong and crew members Cau Van Wang and Nguyen Hau Binh, aged between 20 and 47, were rescued by a local offshore supply vessel, Express 93.
He said they were found at about 8.30 am, at a location 5.7 nautical miles from the spot where another crew of the boat, Le Hoang Em, 41, was found on Saturday.
“According to the skipper, they set out to sea on March 11 and their boat capsized after being hit by a storm on March 27,” he said in a statement today.
He said the crew of the supply ship gave the victims food and drinks before sending them to the Cherang Ruku Health Clinic in Pasir Puteh to undergo Covid-19 swab tests.
The four would be handed over to the Vietnamese Embassy in Malaysia once they were cleared by investigators, he said.
According to the Vietnamese skipper, one more crew member was still missing, he added. — Bernama
