Myanmar: Boat capsizes in Bay of Bengal, kills 23 Rohingyas, 30 go missing

Rescuers pulled out the bodies of 23 Rohingyas who were fleeing Myanmar’s Rakhine State, media reports said on Friday.

A file image of Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh. Photo Courtesy: UNHCR/Christophe Archambault

According to reports, they died after their boat, which was carrying 61 people, sank.

Thirty people are still missing while eight have reportedly survived the tragedy.

The survivors said they were trying to reach Malaysia when their boat was abandoned by its crew on Sunday, BBC reported.

This is not as new phonememon as Rohingyas often try to escape to countries like Indonesia and Malaysia every year by braving rough seas.

They are escaping persecution in Myanmar and overcrowded refugee camps in Bangladesh.

Those who died this week include 13 women and 10 men, a rescue team told BBC.

Rohingyas are people who predominantly follow Islam and reside in Rakhine State of Myanmar.

Before the Rohingya genocide in 2017, when over 740,000 fled to Bangladesh, an estimated 1.4 million Rohingya lived in Myanmar.

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C to I News Desk
C to I News Desk – CtoI

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