KUCHING: A cargo ship sank and overturned in waters near Pulau Burung, Sebuyau, today.
A spokesperson from the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) in Sarawak confirmed that nine crew members from MV Tung Sung are still missing as of 4:00 PM.
"MMEA's patrol boat, KM Kota Kinabalu, is already on-site, conducting search and rescue (SAR) operations. Additionally, another asset of MMEA, the fast response vessel "Kilat," has been deployed to the area to aid in the search for the nine victims," said the spokesperson in a statement.
As of now, there are no leads on the discovery of the missing crew members.
Royal Malaysia Police's Air Operations Force has also been called in to assist in locating the missing crew members of the cargo ship.
The incident came to the attention of MMEA after receiving a distress call from the owner of the cargo ship.
"Efforts are currently underway to diligently search for the victims in the waters of Sebuyau," added the statement.