China sends team of divers to help in rescue operations
MUAR: China is sending a team of divers to help in the rescue of 14 crewmen believed to be trapped in a Chinese sanddredger that capsized off Johor on Wednesday.
The divers are from the SOS Maritime Centre in Guangdong, said Liu Dongguan, counsellor at the Embassy of China in Kuala Lumpur, at a press conference here yesterday.
She said the divers had f lown to Kuala Lumpur early yesterday and were scheduled to arrive at the location, 8.5 nautical miles off Parit Jawa near here, where the JBB Rong Chang 8 capsized with 18 crew on board.
One of the crewmen was found drowned and three others were rescued, leaving 14 unaccounted for.
Liu said the Chinese Ambassador to Malaysia, Bai Tian, was deeply concerned over the incident and was thankful for all the help rendered by the Malaysian government.
The Embassy of China has full confidence in Malaysia’s rescue operation, she said.
“We are very sorry to see this incident happen yesterday. The Malaysian agencies, especially the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency and the Malaysian Navy, are giving us good help and assistance.
“We hope to cooperate with the Malaysian Government. The embassy will follow up on this case until the end. We will try to help the victims and their families,” she said. — Bernama