Over 250 missing after migrant boat capsizes in Andaman Sea en route to Malaysia

More than 250 people, including Rohingya refugees and Bangladeshi nationals, are missing after an overcrowded boat capsized in the Andaman Sea while heading toward Malaysia, according to United Nations agencies.

The vessel is believed to have departed from Teknaf in Bangladesh’s Cox’s Bazar district, carrying a large number of passengers seeking to reach Malaysia. The U.N. refugee agency (UNHCR) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said rough weather, strong winds and overcrowding likely caused the boat to lose control and sink.

Details of the incident remain limited, and it is still unclear exactly when the vessel capsized or whether any coordinated search operation is underway.

Bangladesh Coast Guard officials confirmed that nine survivors — three Rohingya refugees and six Bangladeshis — were rescued on April 9 after being spotted drifting at sea. They were picked up by the Bangladesh-flagged vessel M.T. Meghna Pride, which was en route to Indonesia from Chittagong at the time. The rescued individuals were later handed over to authorities in Teknaf and are reported to be safe.

Officials noted that the rescue was not part of a formal search effort, as the incident occurred outside Bangladesh’s territorial waters.

The U.N. agencies warned that the tragedy highlights the ongoing desperation among Rohingya refugees, many of whom continue to undertake dangerous sea journeys in search of safety and economic opportunities. Persistent violence in Myanmar’s Rakhine state, coupled with limited access to education, jobs and adequate aid in refugee camps in Bangladesh, has left many with few viable options.

UNHCR and IOM called on the international community to increase support and funding to assist Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh, which hosts more than one million people displaced from Myanmar.