KOTA KINABALU: Police today confirmed that there were only 27 Chinese tourists aboard the catamaran which capsized and sank off Pulau Mengalum on Saturday, and not 28 as previously reported.
Sabah police commissioner Datuk Ramli Din said Chinese tourist Li Qun, 33, had initially registered to travel on the boat along with his family, but cancelled at the last minute upon seeing that the boat was “packed to the brim”.
“Li informed police of his wellbeing (after hearing news of the tragedy).
“Hence, the total number of missing Chinese tourists is four, along with one Malaysian crew member,” Ramli told a press conference on ‘Op Catamaran’ at the police headquarters here.
However, he said police are still investigating the matter to determine the exact number of passengers on the catamaran.
“This includes those who had registered (to travel on the boat), but cancelled their plans at the very last minute,” he said.
Asked if the Tanjung Aru jetty, which is the launch point for boats ferrying tourists to Pulau Mengalum, is operating legally, Ramli said police are still investigating the matter.
“We are looking at all angles pertaining to this case, and this includes not just the jetty, but the boat capacity and items on the boat,” he said.
On the status of the 20 surviving Chinese tourists sent to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Ramli said eight of them are in a semi-critical condition, while the remaining 12 are reported to be stable.