Four Chinese tourists who were rescued after their boat sank off Malaysia's Sabah state left for China on Monday, China's consulate general said.

The consulate general said the remaining rescued tourists were in stable condition and would return home soon.

The boat carrying 28 Chinese tourists capsized on Jan 28 en route from Kota Kinabalu to Mengalum island, about 50 kilometers to the west.

Three of the tourists have been confirmed dead, while another five and a crew member remain missing.

The search and rescue operations covered 2,000 square nautical miles on Sunday. A body was found near the last location of the sunken boat on Friday, but authorities have yet to confirm whether it was one of the missing.