Search Resumes For Kemaman Boat Collision Victims

CHUKAI, Aug 12 (Bernama) — The search and rescue (SAR) operation for the two remaining victims of the fishing boat capsizing incident in the waters of Kemaman resumed at 7 am today.

The two missing victims are Yusof Kassam, 66, from Raub, Pahang, and Aina Husna Mohamad Husaini, 25, from Selayang, Selangor.

Kemaman Maritime Zone operations deputy director Muhammad Faisal Abdul Rahim said today's operation involves 25 personnel from various agencies and the deployment of three maritime and two aerial assets.

"The three maritime assets belong to the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA), the Royal Malaysia Police, and the Royal Malaysian Navy. The aerial assets comprise a helicopter owned by the Fire and Rescue Department and a Bombardier belonging to MMEA. 

"Today's search area has been expanded to 262 square miles, with 195 square miles allocated for the air sector and 67 square miles for the sea sector," he told reporters at the SAR forward base at the MMEA Kemaman Maritime Zone here today.

He said the search is expected to proceed smoothly with normal wave heights of 0.5 to 1 metre and winds blowing from the southwest at around 10 to 15 knots.

He said this second day of the SAR operation is focused on the waters of Kemaman and Kijal, not far from where the second body, that of assistant tekong Shahril Ismail, 50, was found yesterday.

In the incident, which occurred at about 6.30 am yesterday, the fishing boat carrying nine people capsized after being struck by a barge approximately seven nautical miles or 13 kilometres off Kuala Kemaman.

Two people, identified as Siti Zamimah Mohman Zobini, 29, and Shahril, drowned in the incident while Yusof and Aina Husna are still missing. The other five individuals were rescued.

Muhammad Faisal said that authorities are still tracking the barge involved to assist in the investigation.

Meanwhile, Terengganu Fire and Rescue Department Zone 2 chief Azman Alias said the search for two victims will also extend to the shoreline.

He said five nearby fire and rescue stations in Kemaman, Kijal, Chukai, Paka and Dungun will be mobilised.

“This search will involve the use of aluminium boats within a radius near the shore, approximately 70 kilometres from Kuala Kemaman to Tanjung Jara, Dungun, to locate the two missing individuals, who may have been swept into that area.

“However, as of now, there have been no positive indications regarding the victims' location,” he told reporters at the SAR forward base at the MMEA office here.

— BERNAMA