At least 15 Rohingya fleeing Myanmar die in boat sinking

Published September 28, 2017

At least 15 Rohingya Muslims, including 10 children, who were fleeing from recent violence in Myanmar died Thursday when their overcrowded boat capsized in rough weather near shore in the Bay of Bengal, a survivor and police said.

Police official Chailaw Marma said at least 10 injured people were being treated at a hospital in Cox's Bazar in Bangladesh.

He said the Rohingya were traveling from Myanmar toward the Bangladesh coast by boat, but rough weather caused the sinking.

It was unclear how many people were missing.

"We don't know an exact figure," Marma said.

A survivor, Abdus Salam, said they came from Mariumpur village on the other side of the Naf river that divides Myanmar and Bangladesh. He said up to 80 people were on board the boat.

Marma said the accident took place at Paturiatek near Ukhiya in Cox's Bazar district.

About 500,000 Rohingya Muslims have poured into Bangladesh over the last month to flee persecution in Buddhist-majority Myanmar.

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