Hanoi (VNA) - The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency in Perak state said a boat carrying 37 undocumented migrants believed to be from Indonesia sank off Pangkor island in western Malaysia, leaving 14 people missing.
The agency was alerted around 5.30 local time on May 11 after a local fisherman found victims floating at sea and calling for help.
Initial investigations found that the total number of undocumented migrants on board the boat was 37, Perak maritime director Mohamad Shukri Khotob said in a statement. So far, 23 victims have been rescued.
A local fishing vessel rescued the survivors before they were escorted by a marine police boat to the Kampung Acheh marine police jetty for documentation and further investigation. They were later handed over to authorities at the Manjung district police headquarters.
Mohamad Shukri said preliminary checks showed the group was believed to have left Kisaran in Indonesia on May 9 for Malaysia, with several intended destinations including Penang, Terengganu, Selangor and Kuala Lumpur.
In one of the deadliest recent incidents, 36 migrants died in November 2025 after their boat capsized near the Thai-Malaysian coast./.
