SARIKEI: An Indonesian was reported missing when the timber-laden cargo vessel he was in with 11 fellow crew members sank in Tanjung Manis in the wee hours of yesterday.
The missing has been identified as Ahmad Jenuli, and a search-and-rescue operation has been launched to look for him.
The other 11 sailors, a mixture of locals, Indians, Bangladeshis and Indonesians, managed to swim to safety when `Jung Soon’ sank at about 1.30am while on its way from Sibu to Kuching.
District police chief Supt Poniman Margiman said according to the Indonesian skipper of the ill-fated vessel, Deden Suryadi, the incident happened near WTK Sawmill due to serious leakage on the hull.
Deden, he added, lodged a report at the police station here yesterday morning.
The Marine Department, Sarawak Rivers Board, Marine Police, and Fire and Rescue Services (Bomba) personnel from Sungai Merah, Sibu, among others, have launched a search and rescue (SAR) operation to look for Ahmad.
The case is being investigated by the Marine Department and the Sarawak Rivers Board, Poniman said.