At least 7 dead, hundreds missing after Migrant boat sinks near Thailand-Malaysia border

At least seven people have been confirmed dead and hundreds more are missing after a boat carrying undocumented migrants capsized near Malaysia’s resort island of Langkawi, authorities said on Monday.

The tragedy occurred close to the maritime border between Thailand and Malaysia, as part of a larger migration attempt involving some 300 Rohingya and Bangladeshi migrants who left Myanmar’s impoverished Rakhine State two weeks ago.

Malaysian officials said the group had initially travelled on a larger vessel before splitting into several smaller boats in an attempt to reach Malaysia.

Malaysia’s Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) said the ill-fated vessel was carrying about 70 people when it sank over the weekend. Thirteen survivors — 11 Rohingyas and two Bangladeshis — have so far been rescued, while search and rescue operations continue for the remaining passengers.

“The rescue operation has entered its second day, and we have expanded the search area from 170 to 256 square nautical miles,” said MMEA director-general Admiral Nurul Hizam Zakaria. “We expect the operation to continue for seven days, depending on weather and sea conditions.”

One of the bodies recovered on Sunday was identified as a Rohingya woman, according to Malaysia’s state news agency Bernama.

The fate of the other boats carrying the remaining migrants remains unclear, raising fears of further casualties.

Thousands of Rohingyas continue to risk perilous sea journeys each year to escape persecution and poverty in Myanmar and overcrowded refugee camps in Bangladesh. Human rights groups have repeatedly urged regional governments to strengthen maritime patrols and provide safe asylum routes to prevent such tragedies.

Malaysia, which already hosts more than 100,000 Rohingya refugees, has tightened border controls in recent years amid rising anti-immigrant sentiment.

As rescue teams continue their search in the Andaman Sea, humanitarian agencies have called for urgent regional cooperation to prevent further loss of life.

“Every year, desperate Rohingya families gamble with their lives because they see no other option,” said a spokesperson for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). “This tragedy is yet another reminder that the world cannot continue to look away.”