CHUKAI: The search and rescue (SAR) operation for Yusof Kassam, 66. and Aina Husna Mohamad Husaini, 25, two victims of a boat accident in Kemaman waters here, has been postponed as of 7 pm today.
Kemaman Maritime Zone deputy director of operations Muhamad Faisal Abdul said today’s SAR op involved an area of 318 square nautical miles (nm) from the location of the incident to Pulau Tenggol in the waters of Paka, Dungun, however, it did not yield any results in locating Yusof and Aina Husna.
“The operation was conducted today from 7 am until now, but we have no clues as to the location of the boat, whether it is still there or has drifted to another place,” he said at a press conference at Pangkalan Hadapan Carilamat (PHC) at the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) office in the Kemaman Zone here today.
“Tomorrow, God willing, we will start at the same time and will expand the search area up to the waters of Kuala Terengganu, using air assets.”
He said today’s weather was not favourable to the search team at around 3 pm, with rough sea conditions thus making it difficult for the sea assets to try to locate Yusuf, who hails from Raub, Pahang, and Aina Husna from Selayang, Selangor.
In the yesterday’s incident at 6.30 am, a fishing boat with nine individuals aboard, were 7 nm or 13 kilometres off the coast of Kemaman, when it reportedly was hit by a barge and capsized.
Five individuals were rescued whereas two drowned and two are still missing.
