KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 10 (KUNA) -- The death toll from the sinking boat carrying migrants from Myanmar near the Malaysia-Thailand border has risen to 13, announced the Malaysian authorities on Monday.
It is believed that around 70 people were aboard the boat, which capsized in territorial waters near Langkawi Island.
In a press conference, Director of the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA), Romli Mustafa, said that the fate of another boat carrying 230 passengers remains unclear, noting that 13 survivors, 11 Rohingya and two Bangladeshis, have been found so far.
He explained that initial information indicates a large vessel departed from Myanmar near the Bangladeshi border about two weeks ago, but some passengers later transferred to smaller boats.
He confirmed that aircrafts from both Thailand and Malaysia are currently participating in the search for survivors, explaining that using aircrafts to support the maritime search efforts will facilitate operations that could last up to seven days.
This tragedy comes amid ongoing violence in Myanmar and deteriorating living conditions in overcrowded refugee camps in Bangladesh, forcing hundreds of Rohingya to undertake perilous sea journeys to Malaysia or Indonesia each year in search of safety.
Myanmar's impoverished Rakhine State has suffered years of conflict, famine, and ethnic violence, primarily targeting the Muslim Rohingya minority.
Since the large-scale military campaign in 2017, some 3.1 million Rohingya have been living as refugees in Bangladesh.
According to UNHCR data, more than 5,100 Rohingya left Myanmar and Bangladesh by sea between January and early November of this year, while nearly 600 have been reported missing or dead. (end) aab.res