The death toll from a capsized boat carrying Rohingya migrants from Myanmar has climbed to 26 after rescuers in Malaysia and Thailand recovered more bodies from the sea, authorities said on Tuesday.
Malaysia’s Maritime Enforcement Agency reported that eight additional bodies were found and one more survivor was rescued near northern Langkawi island, close to the Thai border. The total number of deaths in Malaysian waters now stands at 20 — including seven men, nine women, and four children — while 14 others have been rescued alive.
In Thailand, the Romsai Rescue Foundation said on its Facebook page that six bodies were discovered in Thai waters between Sunday and Monday in Satun province. Identification documents found on some of the victims confirmed that they were Muslim Rohingya refugees who had been on the same ill-fated boat.
Officials estimate that about 70 people were on board when the vessel capsized. According to survivors, the group had originally departed from Buthidaung in Myanmar’s Rakhine state on a larger boat carrying some 300 people. The passengers were reportedly divided into three smaller boats upon approaching Malaysian waters, with one believed to have sunk near Tarutao island in southern Thailand last Thursday.
Authorities said the exact location and timing of the sinking remain unclear, as does the fate of the other two boats.
In a joint statement, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) expressed deep concern over the potential scale of loss of life. They urged regional governments to strengthen search-and-rescue operations and ensure safe access to asylum to prevent similar tragedies in the future.
According to UN figures, at least 5,300 Rohingya refugees have attempted perilous sea crossings from Bangladesh and Myanmar so far this year, with more than 600 people reported missing or dead. The worsening conditions in Bangladesh’s refugee camps and the intensifying conflict in Myanmar since the 2021 military coup have driven many — particularly women and children — to risk their lives at sea.
Malaysia remains a preferred destination for many Rohingya refugees because of its majority Muslim population. While the country has previously accepted Rohingya on humanitarian grounds, it has increasingly sought to restrict arrivals. Earlier this year, Malaysian authorities turned away two boats carrying nearly 300 suspected Rohingya refugees.
Currently, around 117,670 Rohingya are registered with the UNHCR in Malaysia, representing about 59 percent of the country’s total refugee population.
Courtesy: UNB
Bd-pratidin English/Lutful hoque
