YANGON: The United Nations has warned that more than 500 people are feared dead following the sinking of two boats near the coast of Myanmar.
According to a joint statement from the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), reports indicate that two large vessels carrying over 500 passengers capsized in recent days.
Preliminary information suggests that the boats departed in late June from Myanmar’s conflict-ridden Rakhine state, with most passengers belonging to the minority Rohingya Muslim community.
The statement noted that some of the passengers had departed from camps in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, where over one million displaced Rohingya refugees are currently living in dire conditions.
UN agencies reported that one boat, carrying approximately 250 people, went missing shortly after departure, while the second vessel, carrying about 280 individuals, is feared to have sunk near the Ayeyarwady coast of Myanmar on July 8.
The UN agencies clarified that these incidents and the casualty figures have not yet been officially verified.
The statement further highlighted that this journey was undertaken during a time when sea conditions are typically perilous, with recent heavy rainfall and flooding further exacerbating the risks to the passengers.
