Four people, believed to be Indonesian nationals, drowned when a boat sank in Pantai Batu Layar, Kota Tinggi last night.

The operations commander of the Bandar Penawar Fire and Rescue Station, Azlan Mohd Sobri, said the dead comprised three women and a man.

He said 33 others, comprising eight women and 25 men survived the incident. The station received a distress call on the incident at about 11 last night, he said, adding that a search and rescue operations had been mounted.

Meanwhile, Tanjung Sedili Maritime District Director, Maritime Captain Amran Daud, said the boat was believed to have attempted to enter Malaysia.

- Bernama