Boat with hundreds of Myanmar migrants sinks near Malaysia

Authorities said the exact time and location of the sinking remain unclear, though the vessel likely capsized in Thai waters. Officials believe the boat was part of an illegal migration network operated by cross-border syndicates.

A preliminary investigation by the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) found the boat departed from Buthidaung in Myanmar’s Rakhine state and sank about three days ago. MMEA’s First Admiral Romli Mustafa said the agency launched a search and rescue operation on Saturday after several survivors were spotted drifting near Langkawi Island, Malaysia.

Rescuers found the body of a woman, believed to be from Myanmar, floating at sea. Among the 10 survivors were several Myanmar nationals and one man from Bangladesh, officials said. “There is a possibility that more victims will be located as the operation continues,” Romli said in a statement.

State police chief Adzli Abu Shah told Malaysia’s Bernama news agency that the vessel likely went down in Thai waters before survivors drifted into Malaysian territory.

The Rohingya, a Muslim minority from Myanmar’s Rakhine state, have faced decades of persecution, prompting many to flee by sea to neighboring countries such as Malaysia, where the Muslim-majority population makes it a preferred destination.

In January, Malaysia turned away two boats carrying nearly 300 Rohingya refugees attempting to enter the country illegally. While Malaysia has accepted some refugees on humanitarian grounds, authorities have tightened restrictions in recent years to discourage mass arrivals, reports UNB. 

According to the U.N. refugee agency, Malaysia currently hosts over 117,000 registered Rohingya refugees, making up about 59% of the nation’s total refugee population.