Ship Capsizes, 11 Feared Drowned

According to Xinhua, Eleven sailors are feared drowned after the timber-laden ship they were sailing on sank in Brunei Bay near Malaysia's Labuan island. The Thailand-registered MV Emerald left Kota Kinabalu Port, Malaysian eastern Sabah state, on Dec. 24 and was heading for Bangkok when rough waves and strong winds caused the ship to sink. The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency was notified of the incident when two Thai crew members were rescued by Brunei maritime authorities 30 nautical miles from Brunei on Dec. 28. The two rescued sailors are currently in Brunei.

Search and rescue operations were ongoing for the remaining seven Myanmars and four Thais in waters close to Labuan and in Brunei Bay within a 30 to 50 nautical mile radius, Malaysian First Admiral Ahmad Puzi Abdul Kahar said on Sunday. The cargo of sawn timber and plywood was scheduled to arrive in Bangkok on Sunday, according to him. He warned other boats and ships traveling out to sea to be cautious of rough waves that could reach up to five meters in waters off Kota Kinabalu. Source: Xinhua