Myanmar: Over 500 feared dead as boats carrying Rohingya refugees disappear, says UN

More than 500 persons are feared dead after reports of two large shipwrecks off the coast of Myanmar since late June, the United Nations’ refugee and migration agencies said on Thursday.

The International Organization for Migration and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees said that they are concerned by reports that two boats carrying the persons may have capsized in recent days.

The persons on board the boats are mostly Rohingya, reportedly including some who had travelled from refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, the agencies said.

The UN agencies cited preliminary information as having indicated that the vessels had departed from Myanmar’s Rakhine state in late June.

One of the boats, believed to be having about 250 persons on board, lost contact shortly after departure. The second boat, reported to be having about 280 persons on board, is believed to have sunk off Myanmar’s Ayeyarwady coast on July 8.

The maritime incidents and casualties are yet to be formally confirmed, the agencies said.

The journeys had taken place beyond the regular sailing season, at a time when the maritime conditions are typically more hazardous. Recent torrential rain and flooding in the region “have further increased the risks associated with such sea movements”, the agencies said.

Hundreds of thousands of persons from the ethnic Rohingya community...

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