MALAYSIA-BOAT/INDONESIA-BODIES Bodies of four Indonesians who died after a boat capsized off Malaysia are returned home

Record ID: 141695

  • Title: MALAYSIA-BOAT/INDONESIA-BODIES Bodies of four Indonesians who died after a boat capsized off Malaysia are returned home
  • Date: 7th September 2015
  • Summary: ASMINAH'S PHOTOGRAPH
  • Embargoed: 22nd September 2015 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Indonesia
  • Country: Indonesia
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVA3ADZOGV3N1INNQN741C4T6SL7
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: The bodies of four Indonesians killed in a boat capsized off Malaysia last week were returned to their home country on Monday (September 7), as death toll rose to 61 people.
    The boat is believed to have overturned last Thursday (September 3) due to overloading and bad weather as immigrants were making the journey home for the Eid al-Adha holiday.
    In Binjai, North Sumatra Province, the family of victim Mahrani, who was married to a Malaysian, waited patiently for her body to arrive home as her brother, Mohammad Soleh, spoke about what happened.
    "The incident happened last Thursday (September 3) and her son went to the port around 3 p.m. local time (0700gmt). Her identity was confirmed the next day in the afternoon. Her son in Malaysia recognised her with the clothes that she was wearing," said Soleh.
    While some families were finally able to usher their loved ones home, the wait continues for other families.
    "There are few bodies that have been found, but the authorities wouldn't allow the family to look at the bodies because they are in such bad condition. But I spoke to my brother in Malaysia yesterday and he told me the search team had found a body that could be my mother. The authorities had taken his DNA and will cross check with the post-mortem, I hope it will be her," said Yan Iqbal, eldest son of victim Asminah, who had not been home in the last three years after working for over seven years in Malaysia.
    Coffins carrying the remains of the victims arrived in Kuala Namu International Airport later in the evening before being returned to the families.
    Local authorities held a handover ceremony to the victim's relatives before ambulances left to their respective home towns.
    The dead were mostly men, with one toddler on board, Malaysia's maritime agency search and rescue director, Robert Teh told Reuters.
    Most of Malaysia's estimated six million legal and illegal migrant workers are from Indonesia, working in construction sites, plantations, factories and in domestic service.
    Southeast Asia had a huge migrant crisis in May after boats carrying thousands of people from Myanmar and Bangladesh were left at sea following a Thai crackdown on people-smuggling gangs.
    Last week's tragedy occurred at a time when Europe is facing its biggest refugee crisis with thousands of Middle Eastern refugees making their way by boat across the Mediterranean. Hundreds have died.
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