A boat carrying over 250 Rohingya refugees and Bangladeshi nationals capsized in the Andaman Sea, leaving about 250 people missing, according to the UN's refugee and migration agencies.
The trawler, which departed from Teknaf in southern Bangladesh and was bound for Malaysia, reportedly sank due to harsh weather and overcrowding.
Thousands of Rohingya, Myanmar's persecuted Muslim minority, risk their lives every year fleeing repression and civil war in the country. They travel by sea, often on makeshift boats.
The exact circumstances surrounding the latest incident were unclear, but preliminary information indicated that the vessel was carrying about 280 people and left Bangladesh on April 4.
The Bangladesh Coast Guard rescued nine people from the sea, including one woman, on April 9. The UNHCR and International Organization for Migration called on the international community to increase funding for life-saving assistance for Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh as well as support for Bangladeshi host communities.