A boat carrying Rohingya migrants from Myanmar capsized near the Thai-Malaysian maritime border, resulting in at least seven deaths and hundreds still unaccounted for as rescue operations continue.
The incident occurred off Thailand's Tarutao Island, north of Malaysia's Langkawi Island, involving a group of approximately 300 people who had departed Myanmar's Rakhine state three days earlier on multiple vessels.
Authorities reported that the migrants were instructed to transfer to three smaller boats, each holding about 100 individuals, as they approached the border to evade detection.
Malaysian rescue teams recovered seven bodies on Sunday, including five women and a girl, while saving 13 survivors so far.
Romli Mustafa, head of the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency in the region, confirmed the details, noting that images from the agency depicted survivors covered by sheets and on stretchers as crews searched the waters.
The search area spans 583 square kilometers near Langkawi, with efforts focused on locating the two remaining missing boats.
Kedah state police chief Adzli Abu Shah stated that operations involve the Maritime Enforcement Agency and Marine Police to find any additional survivors.
The tragedy underscores the hazardous sea routes taken by the Rohingya, a mainly Muslim minority fleeing persecution in predominantly Buddhist Myanmar, where they face denial of citizenship and abuse.
Many depart from Rakhine state, scarred by years of conflict, hunger, and ethnic violence, including a 2017 military crackdown that displaced over a million to cramped camps in Bangladesh.
Cross-border syndicates exploit these vulnerabilities, charging up to $3,500 per person for the perilous crossings to Malaysia, a destination hosting millions of undocumented migrants from Asia in sectors like construction and agriculture.
According to UN Refugee Agency data, more than 5,100 Rohingya attempted sea journeys from Myanmar and Bangladesh between January and early November this year, with nearly 600 reported dead or missing.
Ongoing instability in Myanmar, exacerbated by civil war since the 2021 military coup, continues to drive these desperate migrations, often ending in catastrophe, as evidenced by past incidents like the December 2021 drownings of over 20 people off Malaysia's coast.