Ten children among Rohingya refugees to die after boat capsizes
Rough weather caused at least 15 to perish in the Bay of Bengal.
At least 15 Rohingya Muslims, including 10 children, who were fleeing from recent violence in Burma died on Thursday when their overcrowded boat capsized in rough weather, 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 travelling from Burma towards the Bangladesh coast by boat, but rough weather caused the sinking in the Bay of Bengal.
It was unclear how many people were missing.
“We don’t know an exact figure,” Mr Marma said.
A survivor, Abdus Salam, said they came from Mariumpur village on the other side of the Naf river that divides Burma and Bangladesh.
He said up to 80 people were on board the boat.
Mr Marma said the accident took place at Paturiatek near Ukhiya in Cox’s Bazar district.
About 500,000 Rohingya have poured into Bangladesh over the last month to flee persecution in Buddhist-majority Burma.
