Malaysia rescues 23 migrants after boat capsizes, 14 still missing

Authorities deploy boats, chopper and surveillance craft to hunt for missing migrants disconnected Pangkor Island.

Authorities successful Malaysia person launched a hunt and rescue ngo for missing radical aft a vessel carrying 37 undocumented migrants sank disconnected its occidental coast.

In a connection connected Tuesday, the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) successful the authorities of Perak said section fishermen person rescued 23 radical truthful far, portion 14 others are believed to beryllium missing.

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Two MMEA vessels, assisted by the marine police, the navy and members of the section sportfishing community, are progressive successful the hunt operation, according to the Bernama quality agency.

The MMEA said it was alerted to the incidental aboriginal connected Monday by a section fisherman who recovered the survivors floating astatine oversea successful the waters off the Pangkor coast.

“A section sportfishing vas successfully rescued 23 victims, comprising 16 men and 7 women, each of whom person been handed implicit to authorities for further investigations,” said Mohamad Shukri Khotob, the manager of Perak MMEA.

“Initial investigations recovered that they departed from Kisaran, Indonesia, connected May 9 and … headed for respective destinations successful Malaysia, including Penang, Terengganu, Selangor and Kuala Lumpur,” Khotob said of the migrants successful a statement.

He said the bureau has deployed boats, a chopper and surveillance craft to hunt for the missing.

“As of present … the remaining ⁠victims person yet to beryllium identified, and hunt operations are continuing,” ⁠Mohamad Shukri added.

Malaysia is location to millions of migrants from poorer parts of Asia, galore of them undocumented, moving successful industries including operation and agriculture.

But the crossings, facilitated by quality trafficking syndicates, are often hazardous, starring to boats capsizing.

In 1 of the deadliest caller incidents, 36 migrants died successful November 2025 aft their vessel capsized adjacent the Thai-Malaysian coast.

An ‌estimated 100,000 to 200,000 Indonesians marque the perilous travel each year, activists person said.