JOHOR BAHARU, 1 FEBRUARY, 2012: Eight people drowned, 11 others were rescued while six more are still missing, all foreigners, after their boat capsized off Teluk Semayong waters, Sedili Besar, near Kota Tinggi this morning.

Kota Tinggi Police Chief Supt Che Mahazan Che Aik said the boat was believed to be illegally ferrying men from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iraq to a neigbouring country when the boat capsized.

"We have sent the bodies of the eight to the Kota Tinggi Hospital for post-mortem. They have yet to be identified," he said when contacted here today.

Che Mahazan said rescue operations were underway to find the six missing men.

-Bernama