Three-nation search effort under way for two men after boat capsizes near Pedra Branca

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Dec 12, 2017 06:00 am

A three-nation search effort is under way for two missing Malaysian men whose fishing boat capsized near Pedra Branca on Sunday night.

Singapore is coordinating the search-and-rescue operation with the Malaysian and Indonesian authorities, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) said in a statement yesterday.

The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency, which confirmed the incident earlier yesterday, said that a search-and-rescue mission was launched after it got a report from Malaysia's Abu Bakar Maritime Base on Middle Rocks.

"A total of 30 rescuers were immediately deployed to the scene, in search of the two victims whom authorities identified as Tan Soon Heng, 35, and Chan Chong Kuok, 51, from Johor Baru," said an official from the agency.

MPA said that it was informed by Johor's Maritime Rescue Sub Centre at 7.30pm on Sunday that two men were reported missing after their sampan capsized at about 4.30pm.- THE STRAITS TIMES