Nearly 250 people were feared missing after a boat carrying Rohingya refugees and Bangladeshi nationals capsized in the Andaman Sea. The news was confirmed by the UN and migration agencies on Tuesday.
The boat sank after coming head-to-head with heavy winds and rough seas. The trawler, which departed from Teknaf in southern Bangladesh and was on its way to Malaysia, ended up sinking due to heavy winds, rough seas, and severe overcrowding.
The exact circumstances surrounding this incident were not immediately clear, but preliminary information indicated that the vessel was carrying nearly 280 men, women, and kids. It had departed Bangladesh on 4 April.
This tragedy highlights the devastating human cost of protracted displacement and the constant absence of durable solutions for the Rohingya, as per the International Organization for Migration.
One of those survivors recounted how the harrowing journey at sea nearly cost him his life. He mentioned how there was hardly any oxygen, and 30 people passed away from suffocation before the boat turned over, as they couldn't breathe.