Boat carrying at least 28 Chinese tourists missing in Malaysia

A boat carrying 31 people, including 28 Chinese tourists, has gone missing off the Malaysian coast on Saturday.

A search operation in Malaysia is underway, according to Malaysian state news agency.

The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) said the boat left the eastern Sabah state on Saturday and was headed to an island popular with tourists, reports the CNN.

A police report was lodged 13 hours later that said the vessel was missing.

The incident occurred during the Chinese New Year celebrations.

"The consulate immediately learned of the situation and expressed their major concern to the state government, asking them to immediately organize a search and rescue mission," according to a statement from the Chinese consulate in Kota Kinabalu.

"The Consulate General has asked the state government to beef up search and rescue efforts, pay close attention to the relevant circumstances and spare no effort to push forward search and rescue efforts," the statement added.