Around 250 Missing After Migrant Boat Carrying Bangladeshi nationals

Around 250 people, including Rohingya refugees and Bangladeshi nationals, are feared missing after a trawler carrying them capsized in the Andaman Sea while reportedly attempting to reach Malaysia.

According to a joint statement by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees and the International Organization for Migration, the overcrowded vessel had departed from Teknaf in southern Bangladesh and sank amid rough seas and strong winds on April 9.

So far, only nine survivors have been rescued after being found drifting at sea by a passing vessel and brought to safety by the Bangladesh Coast Guard. Authorities said some of the rescued individuals are suspected to have links to human trafficking networks.

UN agencies described the tragedy as a stark reminder of the extreme dangers faced by Rohingya refugees fleeing worsening camp conditions, lack of education and livelihood opportunities, and continuing violence in Myanmar’s Rakhine State. They also warned that smuggling networks continue to exploit vulnerable people through false promises, pushing them into perilous sea journeys.