File photo of the missing boat. [Photo: Chinanews.com]

The Chinese embassy based in Kuala Lumpur said Sunday they were informed by the Malaysian Navy that five people were rescued, including a child, from a sunken boat.

Most passengers on board have been found, according to the Consulate General's office in Kota Kinabalu, the state capital of Sabah where the boat carrying 31 people, including 28 Chinese tourists, has gone missing since Saturday.

The boat was sailing from Kota Kinabalu to Pulau Mengalum, a popular tourist island some 60 km to the west.