About 250 Rohingya and Bangladeshi migrants, including children, are missing after their boat capsized in the Andaman Sea last week, according to the United Nations refugee and migration agencies.
The trawler, which departed Bangladesh and was headed for Malaysia, “reportedly sank due to heavy winds, rough seas and overcrowding,” UNHCR and the International Organization for Migration said in a joint statement.
The exact time of the capsizing remains unclear. However, on April 9, a Bangladesh-flagged vessel rescued nine survivors who were “clinging to drums and wooden debris,” according to the coast guard.
A Coast Guard official, who spoke to the BBC on condition of anonymity, said the migrants left Bangladesh on April 4 “in the hope of a better life.”
He said the vessel was caught in a storm around April 7 or 8 and drifted for days.
“They were left floating at sea for nearly two days, holding onto drums and pieces of wood,” the official said.
Survivors were later found by the Motor Tanker Meghna Pride around 2 a.m. on April 11 while en route to Indonesia. The ship later transferred them to Bangladesh Coast Guard custody.
Rafiqul Islam, one of the survivors, told AFP he floated for nearly 36 hours before rescue and suffered burns from spilled fuel.
“The promise of a job in Malaysia made me get on the boat,” he said.
Survivors said they saw nearly 100 people onboard, though officials warned the total number remains unverified.
“There is no trace of the others or of the boat,” the coast guard officer said.
UNHCR said the incident underscores “the dire consequences of protracted displacement and the absence of durable solutions” for Rohingya refugees, many of whom have fled Myanmar since the 2017 military crackdown.
The agencies urged the international community to increase support for refugees in Bangladesh and address the conditions driving dangerous sea crossings.
