Kuala Lumpur, Sep 14

A fishing vessel sank in the Strait of Malacca near Malaysia after colliding with a bigger ship, officials said. All 30 crew members were rescued.

A search and rescue operation was launched after the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency received a distress call Friday that a fishing vessel had sunk in the waters bordering Malaysia and Indonesia, Xinhua cited local maritime official Abdul Razak Johan as saying.

The fishing vessel, on its way from Cape Town, South Africa, to Singapore collided with a bigger ship.

The crew - from South Korea, China, the Philippines and Indonesia - escaped in two life rafts before being picked up by a passing ship.

By:IANS