2 missing after sampan capsizes in remote Sabah village

 

The sampan used by the villagers that capsized earlier. (Fire and rescue department pic)

KOTA KINABALU: A 10-year-old child and a 50-year-old passenger in a sampan are missing after the boat capsized in Kampung Kalandos, a remote village in the Tenom interior district today.

Two others swam ashore.

It was learned the victims had taken the boat to cross Sungai Padas to go home after buying daily essentials in town. The boat capsized due to strong current at about 4pm.

A fire and rescue department spokesman said the victims were carried away by the current but the other two passengers, a woman and an elderly man, managed to swim to the riverbank.

The woman (front), one of two people who managed to swim to safety. (Fire and rescue department pic)

“The boat which was nearing the shore suddenly flipped over,” said the spokesman.

The department received a distress call at 4.13pm but took an hour to get to the scene as they had to board a train to get to the remote location.

The spokesman said the search and rescue operation is ongoing. - FMT