27 people have died after a boat carrying Rohingya migrants from Myanmar capsized near the Malaysia–Thailand maritime border. Malaysian authorities report 20 confirmed deaths and 14 survivors; Thai recoveries have increased the combined toll to 27. Survivors said about 70 people were aboard the smaller boat, which reportedly split from a larger vessel of roughly 300 that left Buthidaung, Rakhine state. UNHCR and IOM called for stronger search-and-rescue capacity and safer access to asylum as worsening conditions and conflict drive more people to risk sea voyages.
Death Toll Rises to 27 After Rohingya Boat Capsizes Near Malaysia–Thailand Border
27 people have died after a boat carrying Rohingya migrants from Myanmar capsized near the Malaysia–Thailand maritime border. Malaysian authorities report 20 confirmed deaths and 14 survivors; Thai recoveries have increased the combined toll to 27. Survivors said about 70 people were aboard the smaller boat, which reportedly split from a larger vessel of roughly 300 that left Buthidaung, Rakhine state. UNHCR and IOM called for stronger search-and-rescue capacity and safer access to asylum as worsening conditions and conflict drive more people to risk sea voyages.
06:35 PM, 11/11/2025Conflict
Death toll reaches 27 after Rohingya boat capsizes near Langkawi
The death toll from a capsized boat carrying Rohingya migrants from Myanmar climbed to 27 on Tuesday after rescuers operating in waters off northern Langkawi, Malaysia, and in southern Thailand recovered additional bodies, authorities said.
Malaysia’s Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) said teams working off northern Langkawi island, near the Thai border, found another survivor and recovered eight more bodies on Tuesday. The MMEA’s count stands at 20 confirmed deaths — seven men, nine women and four children — and 14 survivors rescued so far.
Thai officials in Satun province said rescue groups recovered six bodies in Thai waters on Sunday and Monday, and another body believed to be a Rohingya man was found Tuesday afternoon. Combined recoveries in both countries have brought the confirmed death toll to 27.
Malaysian authorities said survivors reported there were about 70 people aboard the small boat that capsized. Officials say the passengers had originally been aboard a larger vessel that departed from Buthidaung in Myanmar’s Rakhine state with roughly 300 people. As the larger vessel neared Malaysian waters, passengers are believed to have been split into three smaller boats; one of those boats appears to have sunk near Tarutao island in southern Thailand last Thursday. The timing and exact location of the sinking remain unclear, and the fate of the other two smaller boats is not yet known.
UN agencies call for urgent action. In a joint statement, the U.N. refugee agency (UNHCR) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) expressed deep concern about the potential scale of loss of life and urged greater regional and international resources to boost search-and-rescue capacity and ensure safe access to asylum.
So far this year, about 5,300 Rohingya have attempted dangerous sea journeys from Bangladesh and Myanmar, the agencies said, and more than 600 have been reported missing or dead. They cited worsening conditions in Bangladesh’s overcrowded refugee camps and a deepening conflict inside Myanmar, exacerbated by the 2021 military takeover, as drivers forcing vulnerable people — particularly women and children — to risk perilous maritime routes.
Malaysia remains a common destination for Rohingya migrants because of its majority Malay Muslim population. While Malaysia has sometimes provided humanitarian protection, it has also sought to restrict arrivals amid concerns about large influxes; earlier this year authorities turned away two boats carrying nearly 300 people believed to be Rohingya. According to UNHCR figures, roughly 117,670 Rohingya are registered in Malaysia — about 59% of the country’s registered refugee population.
Reporting consolidated from Malaysian and Thai authorities, rescue groups and UN agencies.