Over 500 feared dead as boat capsizes off Myanmar’s coast, says UN | World News
2 min readJul 16, 2026 02:29 PM Two boats with 500 people aboard may have capsized off Myanmar’s coast in recent days, said UN agencies, as the refugees attempted dangerous sea crossings in search of safety and better living conditions.
The two vessels departed Myanmar’s Rakhine State in late June and mostly carried ethnic minority Rohingya passengers, the International Organization for Migration and the UN’s refugee agency said in a joint statement, citing preliminary information. The boats reportedly included some passengers from refugee camps in Bangladesh.
The agency said that over 500 were feared dead in the incidents.
“While the incidents and casualty figures have yet to be officially confirmed, UNHCR and IOM are gravely concerned the potentially devastating loss of life,” the joint statement said.
In 2025, nearly 900 Rohingya refugees either went missing in the Andaman Sea and Bay of Bengal or died, making the maritime route the world’s deadliest for migrants and refugees, said the UN.
‘Journeys took place outside the regular sailing season,’ says the statement
According to UN agencies, the first boat lost contact shortly after departure. It had about 250 people on board.
The second boat, carrying 280 people, was believed to have capsized off Myanmar’s Irrawaddy coast on July 8.Story continues below this ad
“These journeys took place outside the regular sailing season, when maritime conditions are typically more hazardous,” the statement said.
UNHCR and IOM said that nearly 300 people, including Rohingya refugees and Bangladeshi nationals, are reported to be missing in the Andaman Sea and Bay of Bengal in 2026.
The Rohingya refugee crisis began in 2017 after the Myanmar military launched a major offensive in Rakhine State, triggering a mass exodus. This led to at least 730,000 seeking shelter in Bangladesh.
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