Malaysia’s Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) reported on Sunday (November 9) that a boat carrying Rohingya migrants from Myanmar sank near the Thai–Malaysian maritime border, killing at least 11 people and leaving more than 100 missing. Thirteen survivors have been rescued.
Romli Mustafa, head of the MMEA’s local office, said the search and rescue operation has covered 170 square nautical miles near Langkawi Island since Saturday. The vessel, carrying around 300 migrants, had departed from Myanmar’s Rakhine State three days earlier.
According to Malaysia’s state news agency Bernama, Kedah state police chief Adzli Abu Shah said the migrants initially travelled on a large vessel before being ordered to transfer to three smaller boats, each carrying about 100 people, to avoid detection as they neared Malaysian waters.