MUAR, March 23 ― The multi-agency search and rescue (SAR) team found two survivors from the capsized sand dredger off Tanjung Tohor near here this afternoon.

The injured victims, both Chinese nationals, were rescued by SAR divers from the capsized Chinese JBB Rong Chang 8 sand dredger, about 12 nautical miles from Tanjung Tohor.

Muar Fire and Rescue Department chief Marzuki Ismail said the first victim arrived at the Pantai Leka fishing jetty in Parit Jawa at 3.34pm, followed by another at 4pm.

"The first survivor has been identified as Liu Kongsan, 47, while the other is Liang Fu Zen, 62.

"Both the survivors were handed over to the medical authorities and were sent to the Sultanah Fatimah Specialist Hospital here for treatment,” he told Malay Mail.

At press time, there was still no information on the condition of the survivors.

The SAR operation, led by the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA), is still ongoing for the 12 other missing male crew members, who are feared to have drowned.

The SAR team has requested lighting support for the evening segment of the ongoing operation.

Yesterday, Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) and private company divers while searching for the missing crewmen overnight had heard knocking sounds from inside the vessel, JBB Rong Chang 8, about 12 nautical miles from Tanjung Tohor.

On Wednesday, the SAR team found one dead crewman and rescued three others who were injured following the capsizing of the vessel that had 18 crewmen, one of them a Malaysian and 17 foreigners, on board.

The victims were earlier on board a marine sand dredge before it capsized at 8.50am on the same day.

The Chinese-owned JBB Rong Chang 8 is a Dominican-registered marine sand dredger measuring at 86 metres-long, with a 6,200 gross tonnage. The hopper-designed marine dredger was commissioned in 2016.