Boat capsizes at Thailand-Malaysia border, 7 dead including Rohingyas, hundreds missing

International Desk | PNN

At least seven people died after a boat carrying migrants capsized off the Thailand-Malaysia border. Among the 13 rescued, most are Rohingya Muslims, while the rest are Bangladeshi citizens, according to the Malaysian maritime security agency.

According to Malaysian Coast Guard officials, the incident occurred near the coast of Langkawi Island. The capsized boat carried approximately 70 passengers, including women and children. Rescue operations entered their second day, expanding the search area from 170 to 256 square nautical miles.

State news agency Bernama reported that the body of a woman rescued on Sunday was confirmed to be a Rohingya.

Initial investigations revealed that about two weeks ago, 300 Rohingyas from Rakhine State in Myanmar embarked on a large boat. Later, they split into smaller boats to head towards Malaysia. One of those boats suffered the accident.

Among the rescued, 11 are Rohingya and 2 are Bangladeshi citizens. The rest are still missing, according to Malaysian authorities on Monday.

The Rohingyas are a Muslim minority in Myanmar, denied citizenship by the government. After the 2017 military crackdown in August, hundreds of thousands fled to Bangladesh to save their lives.

Due to long-term uncertainty, lack of employment, and future insecurity, some Rohingyas are attempting dangerous sea routes to Malaysia in hopes of safe shelter. Malaysian authorities stated that human traffickers charge these passengers up to three thousand dollars per person. The boats are often small, overcrowded, and lack basic necessities such as water, food, and toilets. Many of these boats get stranded at sea, some passengers die, and some are rescued but detained or returned. Despite slim chances of finding missing passengers alive, Malaysian authorities have announced that search operations will continue for at least a week.