More Than 500 Feared Dead After Two Boats Carrying Rohingya Passengers Capsize in Bay of Bengal

More than 500 people are feared dead after reports that two boats carrying Rohingya passengers capsized in the Bay of Bengal. The vessels left Myanmar's western state of Rakhine in late June carrying mostly Rohingya passengers, including some from refugee camps in Bangladesh. One boat believed to be carrying around 250 people lost contact shortly after departure.

A second boat reportedly carrying 280 people is believed to have sunk off Myanmar's Ayeyarwady coast on July 8. The incidents and casualty figures have yet to be officially confirmed. Acting police Brig.

Gen. Soe Lin Aung, spokesperson for Myanmar's Ministry of Home Affairs, declined to comment. Spokespeople for Myanmar's president and the Ayeyarwady region's government did not respond to requests for comment.

UNHCR and IOM said they are gravely concerned by the potentially devastating loss of life. The agencies said on Thursday that the latest potential tragedy at sea underscores the continued lack of sustainable solutions for the Rohingya. Around 1.2 million stateless, predominantly Muslim Rohingya remain in overcrowded refugee camps in Bangladesh after fleeing violence by Myanmar's security forces.

The military that killed thousands of Rohingya in 2017 remains in charge of their homeland. AP reported that more than 6,500 Rohingya fled by boat and nearly 900 were reported dead or missing in 2025. The 2025 mortality figure for Rohingya sea journeys represents the highest mortality rate of any major route for refugee and migrant sea journeys in the world.