Cover image via 
Follow us on Instagram, TikTok, and WhatsApp for the latest stories and breaking news.
A Chinese couple holidaying in Sabah has been missing for at least three days. CCTV footage last captured them leaving their hotel room in swimsuits.
According to SCMP, Yu Xiaopeng, 25, and his girlfriend Fan Qin, 28, checked into the Sutera Mantanani Resort in Sabah last Saturday, 4 October, and were scheduled to check out the next day.
However, resort employees found the couple's belongings still inside the room after checkout time, prompting the security team to contact the police.
Kota Belud district police chief Supt Shahrudin Mat Husain said a search and rescue operation has been ongoing since Sunday, 5 October, involving 50 rescuers, drone units, and a paramilitary team around Mantanani Besar Island.
The island is a popular diving spot, accessible by a one-hour speedboat ride from Kota Belud.
Missing victim Fan Qin.
Image via China PressCCTV footage from Saturday shows the couple leaving their hotel room at 4.30pm and never returning
Yu's friend told a Chinese media outlet that his last message to her was at 4pm, saying he had arrived at the resort.
She did not suspect anything was amiss when she did not receive a reply, assuming Yu was simply enjoying his time on the island, until he failed to answer her call the next day, reported China Press.
Yu and Fan's disappearance marked the third such incident involving Chinese tourists in Sabah in the last 12 months, according to SCMP.
In May, a 37-year-old Chinese man drowned after jumping into the waters off Sipadan Island without his guide's permission. Divers found him 25m deep and attempted resuscitation, but he was later pronounced dead at a local hospital.
In December, another Chinese tourist, Zhang Cao, 31, was found dead off nearby Mabul Island. He was wearing casual clothes and carrying a grey backpack containing a phone and passport photos.
Authorities classified Zhang's death as sudden and urged the public to come forward with any relevant information.
