Yangon: Around 500 Rohingya refugees are feared to have died after two overcrowded boats carrying people fleeing persecution in Myanmar capsized in the Bay of Bengal, marking one of the deadliest maritime tragedies involving the stateless community in recent years. The death toll is expected to rise as many passengers remain unaccounted for.
According to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the refugees had left Myanmar's conflict-ridden Rakhine State in late June in a desperate attempt to escape worsening violence and humanitarian conditions. Contact with the first boat, carrying about 250 people, was lost shortly after departure. The second vessel, with around 280 people on board, reportedly sank off Myanmar's Ayeyarwady coast on July 8. While official confirmation of the disaster is still awaited, UN agencies have expressed grave concern over the massive loss of life.
The tragedy unfolded despite the dangerous monsoon conditions in the Bay of Bengal, highlighting the desperation driving Rohingya families to risk their lives at sea. Reports indicate that worsening atrocities under Myanmar's military regime and cuts to food assistance in refugee camps in Bangladesh have pushed thousands towards increasingly perilous escape routes.
The crisis has intensified sharply this year. Nearly 6,500 Rohingya have attempted dangerous sea crossings in 2025 alone, with around 900 already reported dead or missing before the latest disaster. The Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea have become among the world's deadliest migration routes for refugees.
The United Nations has urged the international community to strengthen search-and-rescue operations and ensure meaningful international protection for Rohingya refugees, warning that continued inaction will only fuel further humanitarian catastrophes.