By Xinhua,
Kuala Lumpur : At least six people were killed as a boat carrying more than 100 people sank off the coast of a port near Kuala Lumpur Tuesday morning, media reports said.
The vessel, believed to be a barter trade boat, sank off the coast near Klang, a sea port located southwest of the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur, The Star reported.
Rescuers had so far pulled out 107 survivors and six bodies, and were trying to ascertain the actual number of passengers and crewmen on board before the mishap, it said.
Police suspect that the people aboard the boat were all illegal immigrants and boat was being used to smuggle Indonesians going home for the Hari Raya celebrations.
Selangor State police said the boat capsized perhaps due to overloading and a search for more survivors was under way, the newspaper said.
An investigation into the cause of the incident has been started.
Port Klang is one of the busiest ports in the country and it is located some 40 km southeast of Kuala Lumpur.