JOHOR BARU: The search area for the nine missing crew members of a capsized sand dredger has been expanded, said the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA).
Southern Region Maritime deputy director Capt Sanifah Yusof (pic) said that the new search location will cover from the waters of Pulau Besar in Melaka to Batu Pahat, Johor.
"We have entered the seventh day of the operation and are continuing the search with an expanded area of 560 nautical sq miles from 400 sq miles.
"We have deployed 15 sea assets and three air assets for the operation involving some 250 officers from various agencies," he told reporters here on Tuesday (March 27).
On March 21, the Chinese sand dredger JBB Rong Chang 8 capsized 12 nautical miles west of Tanjung Tohor in Muar. Of the 18 crew members on board, five were found alive, four bodies were recovered while the rest remain missing.
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