KUCHING, Malaysia, May 29 (Xinhua) -- Malaysian police said Wednesday that 11 people were still missing after a overloaded express boat capsized in Borneo state of Sarawak a day earlier.
The latest figure was based on the account of the survivors but it is difficult to confirm the actual number as the operators were believed not to have kept a manifest, police said.
The authorities have launched search and rescue operations that involved more than 100 personnel, but no body has been found yet, police said.
The rescue workers tried to pull the sunken boat ashore but failed to do so as it was believed to be full of rocks and sands after capsized.
At least 179 escaped when the boat capsized after it reportedly hit a rock in the Rajang River near the inland town of Belaga early Tuesday.
The express boat with an official capacity of 67 seated passengers was packed with local timber and oil palm plantation workers who were heading home for a traditional festival in the weekend.
Express boat is a popular means of transportation in Sarawak as there are many river running cross the state. In 2010, 13 people were killed when an express boat collided with a tug boat.
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