MMEA: SAR ends for Pulau Pangkor migrant boat tragedy, 23 survivors, 16 dead

“IPOH, May 17 — The search and rescue (SAR) operation for victims of the boat capsizing incident involving Indonesian migrants in waters off Pulau Pangkor on May 11 was officially called off yesterday after six days. Perak Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) in a statement today said that the operation ended at 7 pm following no new discoveries in the search area. To date, a total of 39 victims have been found, involving 23 survivors while another 16 were confirmed dead. “Initial information obtained on the first day of the operation stated that the total number of victims was 37, however the figure is believed to be inaccurate,” the statement said. The victims who died comprised nine men and seven women, whose bodies were sent to Taiping and Teluk Intan Hospitals for post-mortem and identification procedures. Apart from MMEA, the operation also involved cooperation from various security agencies including the Royal Malaysian Navy, the Marine Police Force, as well as fishing communities in the surrounding waters. The incident occurred on May 11 and involved a boat believed to be carrying Indonesian migrants that capsized about 8.2 nautical miles from Pulau Pangkor while en route to several destinations in Malaysia. — Bernama

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