‘At least 14 dead’ as boat capsizes off Malaysia coast

A wooden boat crammed with workers heading back to Indonesia has capsized – leaving at least 14 people dead, Malaysian officials say.

First Admiral Mohamad Aliyas Hamdan, the district chief of the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency, said the boat was believed to be carrying 70 people and not 100 as thought earlier.

He said that among the confirmed dead so far are 13 women and a man.

He said the boat capsized off Malaysia’s western coast, and 19 people have been rescued so far.

Agency official Mohamad Hambali Yaakup said the boat sank in bad sea conditions not far from the coast and several vessels and an aircraft were searching for survivors.