(ECNS) -- No evidence has been found that four people, including one Chinese national, who vanished on an island-hopping trip in Malaysia were kidnapped, maritime authorities said.
Twenty-four hours have passed since a Malaysian and three tourists went missing on Tuesday evening while on a boat trip between Sabah's northern Balambangan Island and Tanjung Simpang Mengayau at the tip of Borneo.
Mohd Zubil Mat Som, Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) for Sabah and Labuan regional director, said the quartet includes a Malaysian woman known only as Ella, David Hernades Gasulla and Martha Miguel from Spain, and Tommy Lam Wai Yin from China.
The MMEA official said there is no indication of an abduction so far after a search-and-rescue operation involving six marine vessels.
It is possible that the boat was damaged by bad weather at sea and has gone adrift, the official added in a statement.
Alarm bells are ringing due to Sabah's proximity to the southern Philippines, where Filipino insurgents were suspected to be behind various kidnappings.
In April 2014, a female Chinese tourist was kidnapped in Sabah state, a popular tourist destination.
