by Hafizur Rahman
Langkawi, November 9, 2025 —
Hundreds of people are missing after one of three boats carrying about 300 undocumented migrants capsized near the Malaysia–Thailand border, Malaysian officials confirmed on Sunday.
According to authorities, the vessel sank in the Indian Ocean several days ago. Ten people have been rescued so far, and one body — a Rohingya woman — has been recovered. Search-and-rescue teams continue to comb the area, and many passengers remain unaccounted for.
The survivors include three men from Myanmar, two Rohingya men, and one Bangladeshi man. The accident occurred near Langkawi Island, on Malaysia’s northwestern coast.
Local reports indicate that the boats departed from Buthidaung, Myanmar, carrying people seeking refuge in Malaysia. Most of those on board were Rohingya refugees escaping persecution and harsh living conditions in Rakhine State. The group was reportedly transferred from a larger vessel to three smaller boats near the border to evade maritime patrols. The fate of the other two boats is still unknown.
The Rohingya, a Muslim minority denied citizenship in Myanmar, continue to risk their lives each year in desperate journeys across the Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea to reach safer countries such as Malaysia, Indonesia, and Thailand.
Authorities said rescue operations remain ongoing, and more victims may be found in the coming days.
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