BATU PAHAT: Four fishermen are missing after their boat capsized and sank off the coast of Tanjung Segenting, here, early this morning.
The five fishermen aged between 43 and 62, had set to sea at 6am. They encountered trouble due to the severe weather and rough seas which caused the boat to capsized at 6.8 nautical miles southwest of Tanjung Segenting.
One crew member, identified as Tan Siak Bin, 43, was found and rescued by a nearby fishing vessel.
He is currently seeking treatment at the Sultanah Nora Ismail Hospital.
The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) has launched a search and rescue operation codenamed Op Carilamat to locate the remaining fishermen.
MMEA Batu Pahat Maritime Zone Commander Mohd Haniff Mohd Yunus said the search for the remaining four crew members was expanded to a 23-square-nautical-mile radius, with supporting assets and resources from the Marine police, Fire and Rescue Department and the Civil Defence Force.
He urged the public and the marine community who sighted the missing men or have any leads to assist with their operations to contact the Maritime Zone Batu Pahat's operations hotline at 07-4344020 or the emergency line MERS 999.