Two police vessels have been deployed to assist the search and rescue efforts but the joint-SAR team members are yet to find them, Head of the Tanjungpinang-based SAR office Mu'min said here on Wednesday.
The tradition wooden boat, locally known as "pompong", was reported to depart from Sei Rengit in Johor, Malaysia, but on its way to the Indonesian island of Batam, the back of the boat was hit by waves, thereby causing it to sink, he said.
"The 'pompong' may have sunk at coordinates 1° 9.373' N 104 15.901' E," Mu'min said.
Malaysia is still a favorite destination among Indonesian migrant workers, with many of them working in factories and plantations in the neighboring country.
To reach Malaysia, workers coming from the main island of Sumatra and isles in Riau Province frequently use boats as their main mode of transport.
In June 2014, a boat carrying 27 people, including 20 Indonesians, capsized off the coast of Sepang, Selangor, Malaysia, and seven of them went missing.
The boat, which had the capacity to carry 10 people, capsized due to overloading. This incident came to light a day after a ship carrying 97 Indonesian illegal immigrants sank off the Air Hitam river, Selangor, Malaysia.
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Translator: Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Azizah Fitriyanti
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