More than 500 feared dead as reports of boats capsizing with Rohingya refugees

More than 500 deaths are feared after reports that two boats carrying Rohingya refugees from Myanmar capsized in the Bay of Bengal, officials said Thursday. The International Organization for Migration and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees reported preliminary information that the vessels left Myanmar’s western state of Rakhine in late June, carrying mostly Rohingya, including some who had traveled from refugee camps in Bangladesh. One boat, believed to be carrying about 250 people, lost contact soon after departure, while a second vessel with about 280 people reportedly sank off Myanmar’s Ayeyarwady coast on July 8. While the casualty figures were not officially confirmed, the agencies said they are gravely concerned. The statement tied the danger to monsoon season, torrential rains, flooding, and the lack of safe options, as many Rohingya remain trapped in overcrowded camps in Bangladesh.