A ferry carrying dozens of migrants capsized off the coast of Indonesia on Sunday, killing at least two people and leaving 26 others missing, according to an official (March 20).
The wooden fishing boat, which was carrying 89 people, set sail for Malaysia via an unsecured path. However, it burst a leak shortly after leaving before being sunk by heavy waves.
A man and a woman were discovered dead, while 61 other people were rescued and taken to hospitals for treatment. The remaining passengers have yet to be found.
"We have dispatched workers to search for the 26 missing victims," Ady Pandawa, the leader of the local search and rescue team, told AFP on Sunday, adding that the damaged boat had been transported to the nearest port.
He stated that the passengers had traveled from all around Indonesia and were looking for jobs in Malaysia without valid papers.
"We believe the number of passengers surpassed the boat's capacity, and the vessel sank as soon as it was hit by severe waves," he said.
Millions of migrants from impoverished parts of Asia live in Malaysia, many of them undocumented, working in industries such as construction and agriculture.
Dangerous sea crossings are typical for Indonesians illegally seeking work in Malaysia, and accidents are prevalent owing to bad weather and inadequate safety precautions.
Six Indonesian ladies were killed off the coast of Malaysia in January when their boat capsized during an alleged attempt to unlawfully enter the nation.
A month prior, a boat carrying 21 Indonesian migrants sank, killing all 21 people on board.
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