13 bodies found washed ashore in Malaysia

(Baonghean.vn) - On the morning of January 26, Malaysian authorities said the country had begun searching for a boat believed to be carrying up to 35 people, after discovering 13 bodies drifting onto a beach in southern Johor state.

The body of a victim is brought ashore by a rescue ship in a shipwreck in Malaysia. Source: Internet

The state police chief, Rahmat Othman, said the boat came from Indonesia and was carrying illegal migrants. “We found Indonesian identification cards on the bodies of 13 victims,” said Indonesian Foreign Ministry spokesman Arrmanatha Nasir.

The boat capsized after being hit by strong waves, according to authorities in Jakarta.

In September 2015, Malaysian police also discovered a boat carrying at least 70 people had capsized off the country’s west coast, killing 50 people. The passengers on the boat were also believed to be Indonesian migrants.

Southeast Asia has recently witnessed a migrant crisis as thousands have ventured to Malaysia, Indonesia and other countries in the region after Thailand launched an anti-human trafficking campaign.

Phuong Thao

(According to Reuters)