Boats collide on Borneo river, 4 killed

Police say an express ferry and a tugboat have collided on a river in a remote jungle area in Malaysia, killing four people and leaving at least four others missing.

Police say an express ferry and a tugboat have collided on a river in a remote jungle area in Malaysia, killing four people and leaving at least four others missing.

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A police official of Sarawak state on Borneo island says 17 people have been rescued since the accident Monday. The official, who declined to be named citing protocol, said on Tuesday that four bodies, including one child, had been found.

Another police official, who also spoke on condition of anonymity, says another four people are believed to be missing, based on survivors' accounts.

The officials say the vessels collided in a sharp bend in the river, causing the ferry to sink.

Ferries often provide the only means of transport to remote jungle settlements in Sarawak.