About 250 Bangladeshi nationals are missing in the Andaman Sea following a boat accident
About 250 Rohingya and Bangladeshi nationals, including children, are missing after their boat capsized last week in the Andaman Sea in the northeastern Indian Ocean.
The BBC reports this, citing UN data.
According to preliminary information, the trawler departed from Bangladesh and was heading to Malaysia. The vessel sank due to strong winds, stormy seas, and overcrowding.
The Coast Guard notes that the exact time of the disaster remains unknown. Meanwhile, on April 9, another Bangladeshi-flagged vessel rescued nine people who were in the water clinging to barrels and pieces of wood.
The Rohingya are an ethnic minority from Myanmar who have been fleeing en masse to Bangladesh following persecution that intensified in 2017. Myanmar does not recognize them as citizens.
At the same time, the harsh living conditions in refugee camps in Bangladesh are forcing some Rohingya to risk their lives and set out on dangerous sea routes to Malaysia, which they view as a potential safe haven.
As a reminder, on Easter Sunday, April 12, Greek rescue services conducted three operations in southern Crete, rescuing 91 people from boats at sea. The largest group of 35 people was detected by a Frontex vessel using a drone 55 nautical miles off the coast.
Italian authorities detained a rescue vessel belonging to the German non-governmental organization Sea-Watch. This occurred after the vessel had transported dozens of migrants to a safe location.
Belgian police dismantled a migrant smuggling ring that operated across three countries.
