One dead, dozens missing after migrant boat sinks off Malaysia coast

Authorities accidental rescue operations are nether mode to find survivors connected a vessel that sunk, with 2 others missing.

One assemblage has been recovered and dozens of others are missing aft a vessel carrying astir 90 undocumented migrants sank adjacent the Thailand-Malaysia border, officials said.

The Malaysian maritime authorization connected Sunday said astatine slightest 10 survivors were found, portion the presumption of 2 different boats carrying a akin fig of radical remains unknown.

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The incidental is believed to person happened adjacent Tarutao Island, conscionable northbound of the fashionable Malaysian edifice land of Langkawi.

“A vessel carrying 90 radical is believed to person capsized” 3 days ago, section constabulary main Adzli Abu Shah told reporters, adding that rescue operations were nether mode to find the survivors.

Among the survivors recovered successful the waters were 3 Myanmar nationals, 2 Rohingya refugees, and a Bangladeshi man, portion the assemblage was that of a Rohingya woman, authorities media bureau Bernama reported, quoting Abu Shah.

The Malaysia-bound radical initially boarded a ample vessel, but, arsenic they neared the border, they were instructed to transportation onto 3 smaller boats, each carrying astir 100 people, to debar detection by the authorities, the constabulary main was quoted arsenic saying.

Dangerous crossings

Malaysia is location to millions of migrants and refugees from different parts of Asia – galore of them undocumented, moving successful industries including operation and agriculture.

Members of the chiefly Muslim Rohingya number periodically fly predominantly Buddhist Myanmar, wherever they are seen arsenic overseas interlopers from South Asia, denied citizenship, and subjected to abuse. Nearly a cardinal Rohingya refugees unrecorded successful cramped camps crossed confederate Bangladesh.

Many of these refugees attempt maritime crossings to comparatively affluent determination countries specified arsenic Malaysia and Thailand, facilitated by quality trafficking syndicates. But the trips often crook hazardous, starring to predominant capsizing.

In 1 of the worst incidents successful December 2021, much than 20 radical drowned successful respective capsizing incidents disconnected the Malaysian coastline.