Shipwreck in Andaman Sea Leaves 250 Feared Dead; Rohingya Plight Back in Spotlight
A trawler carrying Rohingya refugees and Bangladeshis sank in the Andaman Sea, with approximately 250 people feared dead. Only 9 people have been rescued, highlighting the desperate plight of the Rohingya fleeing Myanmar.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 16, 2026 at 14:40
- 🔍 Collected: April 16, 2026 at 15:01 (21 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 19, 2026 at 03:37 (60h 35m after Collected)
Central News Agency
(CNA, Dhaka, Bangladesh, 16th, Composite Foreign Dispatch) According to the UN Refugee Agency and the International Organization for Migration, a trawler heading to Malaysia recently capsized in the Andaman Sea, and at least 250 people, including Rohingya refugees and Bangladeshi citizens, are feared dead or missing.
The Associated Press reported that a spokesperson for the Bangladesh Coast Guard said yesterday that 9 people were rescued on the 9th of this month, including 3 Rohingya, a Muslim minority from Myanmar, and 6 Bangladeshis. He added that the crew of the "M.T. Meghna Pride," a cargo ship flying the Bangladesh flag, spotted the 9 people at sea and rescued them.
Currently, the status of search and rescue operations or the exact time the ship sank remains unclear.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) stated in a joint statement on the 14th that the trawler departed from Teknaf in the Cox's Bazar district of southern Bangladesh, carrying a large number of passengers heading for Malaysia.
The IOM said in a statement yesterday that the ship sank on the 9th of this month.
UNHCR and the IOM said the boat was overloaded and encountered strong winds and severe sea conditions, causing it to lose control and capsize.
A rescued Rohingya female survivor recounted her ordeal yesterday, saying she departed for Malaysia on the 4th of this month, and there were about 20 women on board when the shipwreck occurred.
She said: "I drifted at sea for two days and one night. There were many people on this trawler, but after the ship sank, I don't know the whereabouts of the others."
Agence France-Presse reported that the Rohingya on board likely left the massive refugee camps located in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh. There, over 1 million refugees forced to flee the war-torn Rakhine State in Myanmar live in extremely harsh conditions.
Rakhine State has been an area of fierce fighting between the Myanmar military and the rebel group Arakan Army.
Every year, Rohingya risk taking boats out to sea in search of a better life, and the dilapidated vessels they board are often operated by human trafficking syndicates.
Bangladesh police said yesterday that they have arrested 6 personnel suspected of human trafficking in connection with this incident.
Reuters reported that some survivors said nearly 300 people were crammed onto the boat, including women, children, crew, and suspected smugglers.
One survivor stated that passengers endured 4 days and 4 nights at sea, and the situation deteriorated rapidly. To avoid patrols, smugglers forced passengers to squeeze into a tiny storage compartment originally used for holding fish and nets.
This survivor said, "There was almost no oxygen inside... we couldn't breathe," adding that at least 30 people suffocated to death before the boat even capsized. (Translator: Lu Ying-tzu) 1150416
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(CNA, Dhaka, Bangladesh, 16th, Composite Foreign Dispatch) According to the UN Refugee Agency and the International Organization for Migration, a trawler heading to Malaysia recently capsized in the Andaman Sea, and at least 250 people, including Rohingya refugees and Bangladeshi citizens, are feared dead or missing.
The Associated Press reported that a spokesperson for the Bangladesh Coast Guard said yesterday that 9 people were rescued on the 9th of this month, including 3 Rohingya, a Muslim minority from Myanmar, and 6 Bangladeshis. He added that the crew of the "M.T. Meghna Pride," a cargo ship flying the Bangladesh flag, spotted the 9 people at sea and rescued them.
Currently, the status of search and rescue operations or the exact time the ship sank remains unclear.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) stated in a joint statement on the 14th that the trawler departed from Teknaf in the Cox's Bazar district of southern Bangladesh, carrying a large number of passengers heading for Malaysia.
The IOM said in a statement yesterday that the ship sank on the 9th of this month.
UNHCR and the IOM said the boat was overloaded and encountered strong winds and severe sea conditions, causing it to lose control and capsize.
A rescued Rohingya female survivor recounted her ordeal yesterday, saying she departed for Malaysia on the 4th of this month, and there were about 20 women on board when the shipwreck occurred.
She said: "I drifted at sea for two days and one night. There were many people on this trawler, but after the ship sank, I don't know the whereabouts of the others."
Agence France-Presse reported that the Rohingya on board likely left the massive refugee camps located in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh. There, over 1 million refugees forced to flee the war-torn Rakhine State in Myanmar live in extremely harsh conditions.
Rakhine State has been an area of fierce fighting between the Myanmar military and the rebel group Arakan Army.
Every year, Rohingya risk taking boats out to sea in search of a better life, and the dilapidated vessels they board are often operated by human trafficking syndicates.
Bangladesh police said yesterday that they have arrested 6 personnel suspected of human trafficking in connection with this incident.
Reuters reported that some survivors said nearly 300 people were crammed onto the boat, including women, children, crew, and suspected smugglers.
One survivor stated that passengers endured 4 days and 4 nights at sea, and the situation deteriorated rapidly. To avoid patrols, smugglers forced passengers to squeeze into a tiny storage compartment originally used for holding fish and nets.
This survivor said, "There was almost no oxygen inside... we couldn't breathe," adding that at least 30 people suffocated to death before the boat even capsized. (Translator: Lu Ying-tzu) 1150416
Stand with the facts; every sponsorship you make is the power to protect press freedom.
Download the CNA "First Hand News" APP to grasp the latest news instantly.
Texts, images, and audio/video on this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcast, or publicly transmitted and utilized without authorization.