Around 100 people are missing after another boat carrying Rohingya refugees towards Malaysia sank off Bangladesh early on Wednesday, the second such tragedy in less than a fortnight, officials said.
Bangladesh Border Guard commander Lieutenant Colonel Zahid Hasan said the vessel was carrying around 110 passengers when it went down off around 15 kilometres off the southern Cox’s Bazaar coastal district.
“We have rescued 11 survivors with the help of local fishermen and a search and rescue operation is underway,” Hasan told reporters.
“The boat was heading to Malaysia illegally,” he added.
Hasan confirmed that at least two of those who had been rescued were Rohingya and that they were all being kept in custody.
Lieutenant Badruddoza, a commander in the coastguard who uses only one name, said that a search and rescue operation was being conducted in conjunction with the Bangladesh navy.
