Search area narrowed for missing passengers in Malaysia’s boat accident

Search area narrowed for missing passengers in Malaysia’s boat accident (Photo: Alexlux/Flickr)

KOTA KINABALU, Malaysia—Malaysian authorities have narrowed the search area for the six who remain missing following the boat accident off Sabah state, officials said Friday.

The search will cover an area of 2,990 sq. nautical miles, compared to the 3,900 sq. nautical miles in the past two days, according to Adam Aziz, chief of the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency in Kota Kinabalu, the state capital.

The search will focus more on the south and west, based on the calculation of wind and current, on the seventh day of the operation.

Some 350 personnel and 21 assets, including ships and aircraft, will comb the waters near Malaysia and neighboring Brunei, he said.

The catamaran, carrying more than two dozen Chinese tourists and three crew members, went down in turbulent waters while heading for the popular island of Mengalum last January 28. A total of 22 people have been rescued but three Chinese tourists have been confirmed dead. Another five Chinese tourists and a crew member are missing.