Dhaka, April 16: A boat carrying Rohingya refugees and Bangladeshi nationals capsized in the Andaman Sea, leaving around 250 people, including children, missing.
The boat, which was heading from Teknaf, Bangladesh to Malaysia, capsized due to strong winds, rough seas and being overcrowded, according to reports.
The boat was said to be carrying Rohingya refugees and Bangladeshi nationals. Most of them were said to be trying to escape the violence in Myanmar’s Rakhine state.
Violence continues in Myanmar’s Rakhine state, and it is uncertain whether they will return there. Limited humanitarian assistance in refugee camps, unemployment and lack of education facilities are pushing them to make dangerous sea journeys. They are taking risks in the hope of finding better opportunities abroad, the UNHCR and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said in a joint statement.
More than a million Rohingya from Myanmar are living as refugees in Bangladesh. They have appealed to the international community to extend a helping hand to them.
According to initial information, there were about 280 people on the boat and it started its journey on April 4. The boat was found to have capsized after a four-day journey.
One of the survivors, Rafiqul Islam, said, “We were taken on the pretext of getting jobs in Malaysia. Many of us were put on a trawler (a special boat used for deep-sea fishing). Some of us died on the spot due to oil leakage from the trawler. I too suffered from burns. The boat sailed for four days and then capsized. I survived by floating for about 36 hours. We were then rescued.”