More than 250 people, including Rohingya refugees and Bangladeshi nationals, are feared missing after a boat capsized in the Andaman Sea while en route to Malaysia, according to the United Nations refugee and migration agencies.
The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said in a joint statement that the overcrowded vessel had departed from Teknaf in Bangladesh’s Cox’s Bazar region carrying men, women, and children.
“The trawler … reportedly sank due to heavy winds, rough seas and overcrowding,” UNHCR said, adding that the exact number of passengers is still being verified.
Rescue operations were still unclear on Wednesday, April 15, 2026, and authorities had not confirmed the current status of search efforts.
Rohingya refugees among those missing
Officials said the boat was carrying Rohingya refugees from camps in Bangladesh as well as Bangladeshi nationals attempting to reach Malaysia for work. The vessel reportedly had over 250 passengers and may have been carrying as many as 280 people.
The Rohingya, a persecuted Muslim minority from Myanmar, often attempt dangerous sea journeys through the Bay of Bengal and Andaman Sea due to poor living conditions in refugee camps and lack of long-term solutions for resettlement.
The UN agencies said this latest tragedy reflects the “absence of durable solutions” and continued hardship in refugee camps in Bangladesh, where more than one million Rohingya live.
UN links tragedy to worsening conditions in camps
UNHCR and IOM said restricted access to education, limited employment opportunities, and declining humanitarian assistance have pushed many refugees to take dangerous routes based on false promises of jobs and better lives abroad.
The agencies said ongoing violence in Myanmar’s Rakhine State has made safe return for the Rohingya nearly impossible, leaving them trapped between conflict and displacement.
“This tragedy highlights the devastating human cost of protracted displacement,” the joint statement said.
Survivors describe trafficking and horror at sea
A few survivors have been rescued in earlier operations. One survivor, Rafiqul Islam, said traffickers had promised jobs in Malaysia.
“We were kept in the holding area of the trawler; some died there. I was burned by oil that spilled from the trawler,” he said, adding that the boat drifted for days before capsizing.
The Bangladesh Coast Guard confirmed that a small number of people were rescued after being found floating in the sea.
International concern over recurring sea tragedies
The UN agencies have urged the international community to increase funding and support for Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh and host communities, warning that lack of aid is worsening desperation.
Thousands of Rohingya and other migrants attempt dangerous sea journeys every year to reach countries such as Malaysia, Indonesia, and Thailand, often falling victim to trafficking networks and unsafe boats.
The 2017 military crackdown in Myanmar forced hundreds of thousands of Rohingya to flee to Bangladesh, where they remain in overcrowded camps with limited rights and uncertain futures.
Search and uncertainty continue
As of the latest updates, the fate of most passengers remains unknown. Authorities in Bangladesh and regional maritime agencies are yet to confirm the scale of rescue operations, while families continue to wait for information about their missing relatives.
