ALOR SETAR, Nov 19 — Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) samples have been taken from the remains of 29 victims of the boat capsize incident in the waters off Langkawi to facilitate identification by their families.
Kedah police chief Datuk Adzli Abu Shah said the remains of 15 men, nine women, three girls and two boys had undergone post-mortem examinations at Sultanah Bahiyah Hospital (HSB) here.
“Post-mortem findings so far show that 15 victims died from drowning, while the cause of death for the remaining 14 has yet to be determined pending laboratory analysis.
“DNA samples from all the victims, along with their fingerprints, have been collected in case family members or relatives later come forward to claim them,” he told a press conference at the Kedah Police Contingent Headquarters here today.
Adzli said a coordination meeting had been held with several agencies, including HSB and the Kedah Islamic Religious Council, to manage the remains.
“We expect the burial process to take place at the end of December. The location has not been finalised, but based on previous cases involving human trafficking victims in Wang Kelian, Perlis, and if there are no obstacles, they will be buried in Pokok Sena,” he said.
He added that 11 of the 14 migrants rescued were charged today under Section 6(1)(c) of the Immigration Act 1959/63, while the remaining three, who are minors, will be referred to the Immigration Department for further action.
On November 8, a boat believed to be carrying more than 70 illegal immigrants capsized in the Malaysia-Thailand border waters near Langkawi. The search and rescue operation was called off on Monday after a final assessment found no new leads. — Bernama
