Reuters AlertNet Full site
Homepage | Newsdesk | NGO Latest | Crisis briefings | Country profiles | MediaWatch | Jobs | Alerting | Login

NEWSDESK

Six Indonesians die as boat sinks off Malaysia
30 Sep 2008 04:13:22 GMT
 Source: Reuters
KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 30 (Reuters) - At least six Indonesians returning home to celebrate the Eid al-fitr holidays were killed after a boat carrying 130 people capsized off the coast of Malaysia early on Tuesday, the marine police and coastguard said.

A Malaysian coastguard official said rescuers pulled out 107 survivors but said the death toll could be higher.

"At this point we are still undertaking search and rescue operations. The boat sank near Port Klang and eyewitnesses have said that there were quite a few bodies," said a coastguard spokesman, referring to Malaysia's busiest port.

Marine police commandant Marzuki Ismail in central Selangor state was quoted by the online edition of the Star newspaper as saying the boat could have capsized because it was overcrowded with illegal workers.

Every year, thousands of illegal immigrants from Indonesia cross the busy Malacca Strait to return home to the Indonesian island of Sumatra. Seeking to avoid Malaysia's coastguard, they often set off from beaches and mangrove creeks along Malaysia's west coast in rickety wooden boats. (Reporting by Niluksi Koswanage; Editing by David Fogarty)


AlertNet news is provided by
Email this article       Send comments

NGO latest

•  U.S.-funded road threatens tsunami survivors
Christian Aid - UK

•  CWS appeal -- Indonesia: Yogyakarta and Central Java Rehabilitation Program
CWS

•  WFP and the American Red Cross Wrap Up Three Year Partnership in Tsunami-affected Countries
Red Cross - USA

•  From safe water and sanitation to good health -
Malteser International - Germany

•  Catholic Relief Services Launches Global Food Crisis Response
CRS - USA

MORE >>

Latest news

•  Six Indonesians die as boat sinks off Malaysia

•  Somali pirates demand $35 million ransom for ship

•  Up to 9 killed in ferry fire in eastern Indonesia

•  U.N. presses on with East Timor violence probes

•  Philippine army says seizes Maoist rebel camp

MORE >>

AlertNet news is provided by

Background information

Facts & figures
Malaysia Indonesia

Related articles

Breaking stories
 Six Indonesians die as boat sinks off Malaysia (1 minute ago)

Somali pirates demand $35 million ransom for ship (1 minute ago)

AlertNet insight
 Aid agency study pinpoints climate change hotspots (1 minute ago)

Aid agency news feed
 U.S.-funded road threatens tsunami survivors (1 minute ago)

Blogs
 Listening out for disasters on Aceh local radio (1 minute ago)

Maps
 MAP: All Hazard Hotspots (1 minute ago)


Del.icio.us Del.icio.us  |   Digg Digg  |   NewsVine NewsVine  |   Reddit Reddit   
Thumb for /thefacts/imagerepository/RTRPICT/2008-09-23T091445Z_01_JAK10_RTRIDSP_2_INDONESIA-PORNOGRAPHY_mainimage.jpg|/thenews/pictures/JAK10.htm
Thumb for /thefacts/imagerepository/RTRPICT/2008-09-23T091007Z_01_JAK09_RTRIDSP_2_INDONESIA-PORNOGRAPHY_mainimage.jpg|/thenews/pictures/JAK09.htm
Thumb for /thefacts/imagerepository/RTRPICT/2008-09-23T090935Z_01_JAK08_RTRIDSP_2_INDONESIA-PORNOGRAPHY_mainimage.jpg|/thenews/pictures/JAK08.htm
Thumb for /thefacts/imagerepository/RTRPICT/2008-09-17T113017Z_01_JAK11_RTRIDSP_2_INDONESIA_mainimage.jpg|/thenews/pictures/JAK11.htm
Thumb for /thefacts/imagerepository/RTRPICT/2008-09-17T061426Z_01_JAK04_RTRIDSP_2_COCOA-INDONESIA_mainimage.jpg|/thenews/pictures/JAK04.htm

Balinese in traditional dress march to the government building as they protest against the country's proposed anti-pornography bill in Denpasar in Indonesia's resort island of Bali September 23, 2008. About 1,000 ...


More pictures | Galleries
Disclaimers |  Copyright |  Privacy |  Contact Us |  Feedback |  About Us |  RSS XML

Last updated:Tue Sep 30 04:14:57 2008