KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia ended its search Monday for migrants who went missing after their boat capsized 11 days ago, with searchers recovering 36 bodies after the sinking off the Thai-Malaysian coast.
Fourteen survivors were also rescued since the shipwreck on November 6, near Thailand’s Tarutao island while trying to reach Malaysia.
Officials said the vessel was carrying some 70 undocumented migrants, mostly from Myanmar’s persecuted Rohingya community.
“The search-and-rescue operation will be called off at 6:30 p.m. (1030 GMT) today (Monday),” said Zainudin Mohd Zuki, deputy operations director of the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) in the northern states of Kedah and Perlis.
“We have examined all factors, including the size of the area, assets deployment, duration of the operation and information about the incident.
