Over 500 Rohingya Refugees Feared Dead in Two Boat Capsizings Off Myanmar Coast
More than 500 people are feared dead after two boats carrying members of Myanmar's persecuted Rohingya minority reportedly capsized in the Bay of Bengal, according to officials and international agencies.
The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said in a joint statement on Thursday that the two boats left Myanmar's western Rakhine state in late June. The vessels carried mostly Rohingya passengers, including some who had travelled from refugee camps in Bangladesh.
One boat, believed to have been carrying around 250 people, lost contact shortly after departure. A second boat, reportedly carrying 280 people, is believed to have sunk off Myanmar's Ayeyarwady coast on July 8.
'While the incidents and casualty figures have yet to be officially confirmed, UNHCR and IOM are gravely concerned by the potentially devastating loss of life,' the agencies said.
The Rohingya are a Muslim minority group who have faced decades of persecution in predominantly Buddhist Myanmar. In 2017, a military crackdown drove over 700,000 Rohingya to flee to neighbouring Bangladesh, where they now live in refugee camps. Many continue to risk dangerous sea journeys in search of safety or better opportunities.
Myanmar authorities have not yet commented on the reports. The exact number of casualties remains unconfirmed, but if verified, this would be one of the deadliest incidents involving Rohingya boats in recent years.
Human rights groups have called for investigations and for regional governments to take action to prevent further tragedies. The UN agencies urged all states in the region to provide assistance to survivors and to address the root causes driving people to undertake such perilous journeys.
