BACHOK: The state Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) will seek approval from its headquarters and opinions from various parties to continue the search and rescue (SAR) operation to locate two more missing anglers in Monday’s boat capsized tragedy in the waters of Bachok.
Kelantan MMEA director Maritime Captain Muhd Nur Syam Asmawie Yaacob said the operation was supposed to end yesterday but in the consideration for the families of both victims, the SAR would be continued today pending the decision.
“In my view, the SAR needs to be continued until both victims are found regardless of whether they are alive or not,” he told reporters at Kuala Kemasin here today.
In the 8pm incident on Monday, a boat carrying 20 anglers including the skipper capsized after it was hit by big waves in a storm. Six of them drowned, 12 survived and two are still missing.
Besides MMEA, various rescue agencies including fire and rescue department, Malaysian Civil Defence Force (APM), fishermen association are joining in the SAR which entered its seventh day today but have yet to find any clue to locate the missing victims.
Muhd Nur Syam said strong winds and rough seas made it difficult for the SAR team to locate them despite expanding the search area to 1,600 sq nautical miles.
On today’s operation, he said the team would cover an area of over 450 nautical miles based on the indications in finding a victim two days ago in the direction to Perhentian Islands.
He added that the Bachok fishermen association had also set up a voluntary squad to search for the victims including along the waters of Malaysia-Thai border.
He said the trawlers are also helping to look out for the victims. -Bernama
