A collision between two passenger vessels off the coast of Sabah state in Malaysia earlier this week has left two people dead, local newspaper The Star reports.
The incident occurred at around 09:45 local time on Sunday, January 12, when a speedboat and a vessel carrying Chinese tourists collided with each other near the island of Balimbang in southeastern Sabah’s Semporna district.
A local police official said that two people who were on the speedboat were thrown overboard due to the force of the impact. These two individuals, who have been identified as adult males aged 45 and 50, were initially reported as missing but were later found deceased.
An investigation is being conducted to determine whether the incident was the result of negligence on the part of one or both vessel operators. If convicted, the accused parties could each be sentenced to up to two years’ imprisonment in addition to having to pay a fine.
The captain of the tour boat has been while the bodies of the two victims have been brought to hospital in Semporma to undergo post-mortem examinations.