Fishing and tugboats picked up twenty-three survivors, including two crew. Three bodies were recovered. Five Chinese tourists and one crewmember were still missing on Monday.
An investigation is underway in Kota Kinabalu as the search continues for six people missing after a boat carrying 28 Chinese tourists and three crew capsized in rough seas off eastern Malaysia on Saturday.
Fishing and tugboats picked up twenty-three survivors, including two crew. Three bodies were recovered. Five Chinese tourists and one crewmember were still missing on Monday.
The catamaran left Kota Kinabalu in Sabah, heading for Pulau Mengalum, a popular tourist island 60km west of the city.
The catamaran sank on the first day of the Chinese New Year holiday, sparking a major air and sea search.
The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency said it received a distress call from the boat but contact was lost soon after.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has demanded an all-out search for the missing passengers while the China National Tourism Administration has activated an emergency team led by a deputy chief of the administration to deal with the incident, according to a CNTA statement.