500 feared dead as boats with Myanmar's Rohingya refugees capsize
What's the story
Over 500 people are feared dead after two boats carrying members of Myanmar's Rohingya minority capsized in the Bay of Bengal, officials said on Thursday. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) and United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said the boats left Rakhine state in late June, with one, reportedly carrying 280 people, losing contact shortly after departure. A second boat is believed to have sunk off the Ayeyarwady coast on July 8.
Dangerous crossing
Boat journeys usually avoided during monsoons
"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," the agencies said.
The Rohingya, who have fled Myanmar and Bangladesh's refugee camps in recent years, usually avoid boat journeys during monsoons due to rough seas.
Noting this, the UNHCR and IOM stressed that recent torrential rains and flooding would have made these journeys especially dangerous.
Crisis escalation
Bangladesh camps overcrowded with Rohingya
Around 1.2 million stateless Rohingya remain trapped in overcrowded camps in Bangladesh after fleeing violence by Myanmar's military junta.
The unrest has increased the number of Rohingya attempting dangerous ocean crossings to Malaysia on rickety boats.
Thousands have died, including babies and pregnant women, as local maritime authorities often allegedly abandon them at sea.
Call to action
Calls for action against trafficking networks
The IOM and UNHCR have called on the international community to support those trapped in Bangladesh's camps.
They stressed the need for enhanced search and rescue efforts, access to asylum and protection, and actions against smuggling and trafficking networks.
In 2025 alone, over 6,500 Rohingya fled with nearly 900 reported dead or missing during their sea journeys.
This makes it the highest mortality rate of any major route for refugee and migrant sea journeys in the world.