Ten missing as speedboat carrying illegal immigrants capsizes off Macau

[PressForNirvana]

Ten missing as speedboat carrying illegal immigrants capsizes off Macau

PUBLISHED : Friday, 27 February, 2015, 11:24am
UPDATED : Friday, 27 February, 2015, 10:47pm

Clifford Lo [email protected]

The speedboat capsized before dawn. Photo: SCMP Pictures

At least ten people are believed to be missing after a speedboat allegedly used to transport illegal immigrants from mainland China capsized off Macau on Friday.

A search and rescue operation involving mainland and Macau authorities was launched after the boat overturned about 500 metres off the Grand Coloane Resort on Estrada De Hac Sa Coloane before dawn.

As of 7.30pm, four men and two women had been picked up by customs and police officers. They told rescuers that at least 15 people were on board the seven-metre long speedboat at the time of the incident.

“All the survivors are illegal immigrants from the mainland. Initial investigation showed they came from Zhuhai,” Macau Customs spokesman Lao Pui-tak said.

“One of the men complained of feeling unwell and was sent to hospital. He has been discharged after an examination.”

The survivors told customs officers that there were 15 or 16 people on board the speedboat and three of them were crew members, he said.

Lao said Macau police intercepted another mainland man at the beach outside the hotel. “We are still investigating whether he is linked to the case,” he said.

A search and rescue operation is underway. Photo: Macau Government Information Bureau

The search began after Macau Customs received a report from the Macau Judiciary Police at 4.50am.

“Four people swam ashore,” said a spokeswoman for the Macau marine and water bureau.

She said the force of the wind was strong and had hampered the rescue operation.

Customs officers retrieved the fibreglass speedboat from the sea and later brought it to shore.

Lao said initial investigations showed the speedboat was used to transport illegal immigrants from Zhuhai. He said there was no indication the boat carried children or elderly people.

He said the search area covered a radius of one to two nautical miles.

“The search and rescue operation is being carried out by Macau Customs with the mainland’s marine police and border patrol departments,” Lao said.

He said the operation was still continuing.