Kochi: About 500 people, most of them Rohingyas of Myanmar, were killed when two boats capsized in the bay of Bengal.
The Times of India quoting a statement from the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), said the boats had left Myanmar’s Rakhine state towards the end of June carrying those including some who had traveled from refugee camps across the border in Bangladesh.
Around 1.2 million stateless Rohingya, most of them Muslims, remain confined to overcrowded refugee camps in Bangladesh after fleeing waves of violence by Myanmar’s security forces.
The United States have accused Myanmar of committing genocide against the Rohingya. Those still living in Myanmar continue to face severe restrictions, with many confined to internment camps.
At the same time, fighting between Myanmar’s military and an ethnic armed group in Rakhine State has further worsened the crisis.
According to the UNHCRC over 6,500 Rohingya attempted to flee by sea in 2025.
Hundreds of Rohingyas feared drowned
