BANGKOK (Reuters) – Two boats carrying more than 500 people may have capsized off the coast of Myanmar in recent days, ​UN agencies said on Thursday, as refugees from the ‌war-torn country continue to make perilous maritime journeys in search of safety and better opportunities.
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“According to preliminary information, the two vessels departed from Myanmar’s Rakhine State in late June carrying mostly Rohingya passengers, reportedly including some who had travelled from refugee â camps in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh,” the International Organisation for Migration and the UN Refugee Agency said in a joint statement, saying more than 500 were feared dead.
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“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.”
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Members of Myanmar’s Rohingya Muslim minority for years have risked their lives on flimsy wooden vessels, driven by ‌violence â at home and desperate conditions in crowded refugee camps in Bangladesh, hoping to reach safety and opportunity in countries such as Malaysia, Indonesia or Thailand.
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With around 250 people onboard, the first boat lost contact shortly after departure â and a second vessel carrying around 280 people is believed to have sunk off Myanmar’s Ayeyarwady coast on July 8, the UN agencies said.
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“These journeys â took place outside the regular sailing season, when maritime conditions are typically more hazardous,” the statement said.
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The agencies said that nearly â 300 people are reported to be missing or dead in the Andaman Sea and Bay of Bengal this year, including Rohingya refugees and Bangladeshi nationals.