Five missing in boat sinking

PEKANBARU, Riau: Five people are missing after a Malaysia- bound wooden speedboat carrying 21 passengers sank on the Malacca Strait two hours after it left Jangkang village, Bengkalis Island in Riau.

Antara reported yesterday that the accident took place on Tuesday night. Bengkalis port administrator Bay M. Hasani said two of the missing people were crew. The single-engine boat was thought to have sunk because of poor weather.

The other 16 passengers were rescued by a customs ship en route from Tanjung Balai Karimun to Belawan, North Sumatra.

The survivors said that they were from the islands of Lombok and Sumbawa in West Nusa Tenggara, and from Riau. There was no news about the identity of the missing people.

Hasani said the passengers had been trying to reach Malaysia to work illegally. (swe)