A tourist boat capsized in Malaysia's eastern state of Sabah, seven people, including five foreigners, were missing, local media reports said Tuesday.

 

The boat capsized around noon on Tuesday at a river mouth near Sandakan city in Sabah, five foreign tourists, a local guide and the boatman were missing, according to the wedsite of the local English-language newspaper The Star.

 

The accident happened when the boat was carrying tourists back from a resort island in stormy seas.

 

Local police declined to disclose the nationalities of the missing tourists, but believing they were Australian and British nationals on an adventure tour vacation in Sabah.

 

Malaysian marine police, navy and coastguards were combing the river mouth for the missing people.

 

Initial reports said that there were at least 15 people on board when the boat capsized at about 11.30 a.m. as it was entering the river mouth from the Sulu Sea. But it was confirmed that one of the two boats carrying 15 people in total capsized after hitting stormy waves during heavy rain, only seven people remained missing.

 

(Xinhua News Agency January 9, 2007)