Eighteen Indonesian migrant workers are missing after a boat traveling from Indonesia to Malaysia capsized on Monday morning.
One woman was confirmed dead at the scene and 25 others were rescued. According to Abu Bakar Idris of the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency, the boat was believed to be carrying 44 illegal immigrants, The Jakarta Post reported.
The vessel was travelling from Batam in Indonesia to Tanjung Penawar in Malaysia’s southern state of Johor when it sank.
Idris said workers on an offshore platform raised the alert after spotting two men swimming towards them.
“We have requested assistance from Singapore and Indonesian authorities to search within their own waters,” Idris said.
Senior coast guard official Sanifah Yusof said the boat was overloaded and ran into bad weather. Around 150 officers are involved in searches for the missing.