One of the boats reportedly had around 250 people on board, while the second one counted some 280 passengers.
Among those on board were believed to be Rohingya passengers (Image: Getty)
More than 500 people are feared dead following reports that two boats carrying members of Rohingya minority have capsized in the Bay of Bengal, in Bangladesh. Two boats left Myanmar’s western state of Rakhine in late June carrying mostly Rohingya passengers, including some from refugee camps across the border in Bangladesh, according to a statement from the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
One of the boats is believed to have been carrying around 250 people and lost contact shortly after departure. A second one, reportedly carrying 280 people, is believed to have sunk off Myanmar’s Ayeyarwady coast on July 8. In recent years, the Rohingya population have fled both Myanmar and Bangladesh’s refugee camps. They have typically avoided such boat journeys at this time of year, when monsoons are frequent and conditions at sea are particularly dangerous, the UNHCR and IOM said in a statement on Thursday.
The journeys would have been made particularly risky by recent torrential rain and floods across the region, the IOM and UNHCR noted, who are gravely concerned by the potentially devastating loss of life. There are around 1.2 million stateless, predominantly Muslim, Rohingya who remain in refugee camps in Bangladesh after fleeing violence in Myanmar.
Myanmar military reportedly killed thousands of Rohingya in 2017, during what the United States declared a genocide. The Rohingya still living in Myanmar face severe restrictions and many are confined to internment camps.
“Stronger regional and international efforts are needed to prevent further loss of life along one of the world’s deadliest maritime routes, including through enhanced search and rescue efforts, access to asylum and protection, and actions against smuggling and trafficking networks,” the agencies said.
More than 6,500 Rohingya fled and nearly 900 were reported dead or missing in 2025, the deadliest year for Rohingya who tried to leave by boat. The figure represents the highest mortality rate of any major route for refugee and migrant sea journeys in the world, the UNHCR said.