A boat carrying roughly 300 migrants from Myanmar capsized near the Thailand–Malaysia maritime border; one body was recovered, 10 people rescued and dozens remain missing. Authorities say the vessel likely departed Buthidaung in Rakhine state and sank about three days earlier, with survivors drifting toward Langkawi. Officials warned that cross-border smuggling syndicates are increasingly exploiting dangerous sea routes, and confirmed some rescued were Rohingya. Search-and-rescue operations are ongoing as authorities investigate and track possible additional victims.
Tragedy at Sea: Boat with ~300 Migrants from Myanmar Capsizes Near Thailand–Malaysia Border — 1 Dead, 10 Rescued
A boat carrying roughly 300 migrants from Myanmar capsized near the Thailand–Malaysia maritime border; one body was recovered, 10 people rescued and dozens remain missing. Authorities say the vessel likely departed Buthidaung in Rakhine state and sank about three days earlier, with survivors drifting toward Langkawi. Officials warned that cross-border smuggling syndicates are increasingly exploiting dangerous sea routes, and confirmed some rescued were Rohingya. Search-and-rescue operations are ongoing as authorities investigate and track possible additional victims.
12:39, 09.11.2025Society
Boat Carrying About 300 Migrants Capsizes Near Thailand–Malaysia Border
KUALA LUMPUR — A vessel carrying an estimated 300 migrants from Myanmar capsized last week in the Indian Ocean near the maritime boundary between Thailand and Malaysia, authorities said Sunday. At least one body — believed to be a woman from Myanmar — was recovered, 10 people were rescued and dozens remain unaccounted for.
The exact time and point where the boat sank have not been confirmed. Malaysian officials said the vessel likely overturned in Thai waters before survivors and debris drifted toward Malaysian shores.
First Adm. Romli Mustafa of the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency said a preliminary inquiry indicates the vessel departed from Buthidaung in Myanmar's Rakhine state and sank about three days earlier. The agency launched search-and-rescue operations on Saturday after several survivors were found drifting near Langkawi, a resort island in northern Malaysia.
Romli Mustafa: 'There is a possibility that more victims will be located as the operation continues.'
Authorities reported that at least 10 people were pulled to safety, including a man from Bangladesh and several migrants from Myanmar. Malaysian state police chief Adzli Abu Shah told the Bernama news agency the vessel most likely sank in Thai waters and that bodies and survivors later drifted into Malaysian waters.
Officials warned that cross-border smuggling syndicates are increasingly active, exploiting migrants with hazardous sea routes. A police official said some of the rescued were Rohingya Muslims, an ethnic minority from Myanmar that has faced longstanding persecution.
In January, Malaysian authorities turned away two boats carrying nearly 300 people believed to be Rohingya refugees trying to enter the country. Malaysia is a common destination for such migrants because of its majority Malay Muslim population. While Malaysia has at times accepted Rohingya on humanitarian grounds, it has also sought to limit arrivals amid fears of larger, uncontrolled boat landings.
There are about 117,670 Rohingya refugees registered with the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees in Malaysia, roughly 59% of the country’s registered refugee population, officials say.
Ongoing Response
Search-and-rescue teams continue to patrol the area around Langkawi. Authorities urged anyone with information to assist the investigation and warned the public about the dangers posed by people-smuggling networks that operate across the region.