GEORGE TOWN, MALAYSIA: A 49-year-old man went missing while his wife was rescued after they accidentally fell from a cruise ship about 15 nautical miles south of Pulau Kendi.

Shetty Kasturi Nithyanda, 47, who has been admitted to a private hospital in stable condition, and her husband Shetty Noojady Nithyanda, fell about 20m into the sea at 10am yesterday.

Rescue efforts by the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency and Marine Operations Force were still going on at press time.

Marine Operations Force Region I commander Asst Comm Zainul Abidin Hasan said they received a call at 10.20am and an eight-man rescue team was immediately sent to the scene.

"The state Fire and Rescue Department and Marine Department are also helping in the rescue work.

"We are also trying to determine how they fell from the ship, which was from Singapore," he said.

-The Star/Asia News Network