UN agencies stressed that the incidents and the reported death toll have not yet been officially confirmed.
GENEVA: More than 500 people are feared dead after two boats carrying mostly Rohingya refugees reportedly sank off Myanmar’s coast, the United Nations said, describing the incidents as one of the deadliest recent tragedies involving the persecuted minority.
In a joint statement, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) said the two vessels, carrying more than 500 people, are believed to have capsized in recent days after departing from Myanmar’s conflict-hit Rakhine State in late June. Most of those on board were members of the Rohingya Muslim minority.
The agencies said some passengers had also left from refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, where more than one million Rohingya refugees continue to live in difficult conditions after fleeing violence in Myanmar.
According to preliminary information, one boat carrying around 250 people disappeared shortly after departure, while another vessel with about 280 passengers is believed to have sunk near Myanmar’s Ayeyarwady coast on July 8.
The UN agencies stressed that the incidents and the reported death toll have not yet been officially confirmed.
They also warned that the voyages took place during a particularly dangerous period for sea travel, with heavy rains and flooding worsening already hazardous maritime conditions.
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