17 dead as boat carrying Rohingya refugees capsizes on its way from Myanmar to Malaysia
Rohingya boat capsizes off Myanmar coast: At least 17 people were killed as a boat carrying Rohingya refugees capsized while it was on its way from Myanmar to Malaysia, reported CNN.
Following the incident, rescue teams found the bodies on Myanmar's coast. According to reports, 33 people are still missing.
According to CNN, the incident occurred near Rakhine state's capital city of Sittwe.
According to Bya Latt, the spokesperson for the Shwe Yaung Matta Foundation rescue group, 10 of the victims were women and seven were men, and all of the victims were Rohingya Muslims.
However, eight victims were found alive and are being kept at a local police station, according to Latt.
Furthermore, a Sittwe police spokesperson stated that the boat carried 58 persons, including three boat drivers.
"They were met with a storm in the sea, and the boat sank under huge waves," the officer was quoted saying as per CNN.
Meanwhile, local police and the rescue foundation are collaborating to conduct joint rescue operations.
According to the police officer, the victims came from many townships, including Rathedaung, Maungdaw, and Buthidaung.
The complex Rohingya refugee crisis erupted in August 2017 when armed groups claiming to be from the community attacked remote police stations in western Myanmar.
"They were met with a storm in the sea, and the boat sank under huge waves," the officer continued, according to CNN.
More than 70,000 Rohingya refugees from Myanmar have escaped to Bangladesh since August 25, 2017. This Rohingya refugee crisis is one of the largest and fastest-moving in recent history.
Today, over 880,000 stateless Rohingya refugees live in Kutupalong, the world's largest and most densely populated refugee camp. According to the report, over half of the refugees are children.
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- With inputs from agencies
