Dozens of people are missing and one person has died after a boat carrying migrants sank near the border between Thailand and Malaysia. The vessel is believed to have capsized near the southern Thai island of Ko Tarutao on Thursday, according to the Malaysian Coast Guard.
Ten people have been rescued and the body of a woman was found floating in the sea. Maritime officials believe the victims are part of a group of about 300 people who had been travelling on a larger vessel before splitting onto small boats as they approached Malaysia.
Those rescued near the Malaysian resort of Langkawi include three Myanmar men, two Rohingya men, and one Bangladeshi man, as reported by Malaysia's state-run agency Bernama. The body found in the water was that of a Rohingya woman.
Efforts to look for more survivors are ongoing. The mostly-Muslim Rohingya community has fled Buddhist-majority Myanmar in large numbers in recent years to escape persecution. Conflict and poor conditions in refugee camps in Bangladesh continue to push vulnerable individuals onto overcrowded vessels seeking a better life in Malaysia. Many fleeing have reportedly paid over $3,000 (£2,300) for their journey.
Ten people have been rescued and the body of a woman was found floating in the sea. Maritime officials believe the victims are part of a group of about 300 people who had been travelling on a larger vessel before splitting onto small boats as they approached Malaysia.
Those rescued near the Malaysian resort of Langkawi include three Myanmar men, two Rohingya men, and one Bangladeshi man, as reported by Malaysia's state-run agency Bernama. The body found in the water was that of a Rohingya woman.
Efforts to look for more survivors are ongoing. The mostly-Muslim Rohingya community has fled Buddhist-majority Myanmar in large numbers in recent years to escape persecution. Conflict and poor conditions in refugee camps in Bangladesh continue to push vulnerable individuals onto overcrowded vessels seeking a better life in Malaysia. Many fleeing have reportedly paid over $3,000 (£2,300) for their journey.
