Rescuers were searching for 40 Indonesians including women and children on Saturday after a boat carrying them home to celebrate the end of the Islamic fasting month sank off Malaysia.
Two ships, four speedboats and two helicopters have been dispatched to scour the sea off southern Johor state to look for the missing, said Amran Daud, an official with the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA).
The boat, thought to be carrying 44 passengers, sank amid high waves Thursday night around 13 nautical miles (24 kilometers) off the coast, he said, adding four were rescued on Friday.
It is thought the Indonesians chose to travel on the boat because they were working illegally in Malaysia and wished to bypass border controls on their trip home.
The boat sank roughly three hours into its journey from Tanjung Sedili on the state's east coast to Indonesia's Batam island with its passengers hoping to return for Eid al-Fitr, the most important Muslim holiday, Amran said.
"The condition of the boat was believed to be questionable," Amran said, adding that authorities were still investigating the cause of the incident.
Three of the survivors were rescued by passing fishermen, while another was saved by authorities who started search and rescue efforts after being alerted by the fisherman.
"Only four of those on board were rescued by fishermen and MMEA after floating 15 hours in the sea," Amran said.
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