Malaysian rescue teams found 25 people from the boat with mostly Chinese tourists which had gone missing off the coast of Malaysia, local media reported Sunday, Sputnik reported.

16:57

Two crew members of the boat with Chinese tourists which had gone missing off the coast of Malaysia were found during the rescue operation, Sputnik reported.

According to the Star newspaper, Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) spokesman Rahim Ramli said that two crew members had been found near an oil platform not far from the Tiga island. The Chinese tourists and another crew member have not been found yet.

16:20

The boat lost contact after departing the eastern state of Sabah on Saturday.

The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency said search and rescue efforts were being hampered by bad weather.

The incident coincides with the first day of China`s week-long Lunar New Year celebration, which is also marked by ethnic Chinese in Malaysia.

The catamaran boat left Kota Kinabalu on Saturday at 09:00 local time (01:00 GMT) and was heading towards Pulau Mengalum, a popular tourist island 60km (37 miles) west of the city.

The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency said it received a distress call from the boat but contact was lost soon after.

"I, like all the relatives of those on board, am hoping for progress in the search and rescue operation," the tourism minister for Sabah state, Masidi Manun, told the AFP news agency.

The search area covers 400 nautical square miles between Kota Kinabalu and Pulau Mengalum, according to the New Strait Times.

Storms are common in the area at this time of year.

Three crew members were on board the vessel, alongside the 31 passengers.

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