Chinese couple vanishes from Malaysia island resort, belongings left behind

Yu Xiaopeng, 25, and his girlfriend Fan Qin, 28, checked into the Sutera Mantanani Resort on Saturday. They were supposed to check out the next day, but when staff realized they had not returned, their room still contained all their belongings, the South China Morning Post reported.

The resort contacted police on Sunday evening, and by 7:57 p.m. a report was filed, Mothership reported. Since then, the couple have not been seen.

A search and rescue operation has been ongoing since Sunday, Kota Belud police chief Shahrudin Mat Husain told local media, warning the public not to spread unverified speculation.

More than 50 personnel are now scouring Mantanani Besar Island and its surrounding waters. The island, a popular dive site northwest of Sabah, covers just 1.88 square kilometers and is accessible only by a one-hour speedboat ride from the town of Kota Belud.

Their disappearance is the third incident involving Chinese tourists in Sabah within a year.

In May, a 37-year-old drowned after jumping into the waters off Sipadan Island without his guide's permission, with divers later recovering his body at a depth of 25 meters.

Last December, 31-year-old Zhang Cao was found dead off nearby Mabul Island with a backpack containing his phone and photos. Police classified his death as sudden.