250 Feared Missing After Trawler Capsizes in Andaman Sea

At least 250 people, including Rohingya refugees and Bangladeshi nationals, are feared missing after an overcrowded trawler capsized in the Andaman Sea while heading from Bangladesh to Malaysia last week, according to United Nations agencies.

The vessel departed from Teknaf in Bangladesh's southern Cox's Bazar district on April 4, carrying around 280 passengers, preliminary reports indicate. It sank due to heavy winds, rough seas, and overcrowding, though the exact timing remains unclear. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the International Organization for Migration issued a joint statement on Tuesday confirming the details and expressing sorrow over the incident, which involved men, women, and children among the passengers.

On April 9, a Bangladesh-flagged cargo ship, the M.T. Meghna Pride, rescued nine survivors from deep waters near the Andaman Islands while en route to Indonesia. The Bangladesh Coast Guard took custody of the group, which included one woman. Officials handed the survivors over to authorities, and six of them, identified as alleged traffickers, were detained and sent to jail in Teknaf. A case was filed at the Teknaf Model Police Station...