Hundreds Go Missing As Boat Capsizes Near Thailand-Malaysia Border, 1 Body Found

Last Updated:November 09, 2025, 17:38 IST

Hundreds are missing after a boat from Buthidaung sank near the Thailand-Malaysia border. Ten survived, one Rohingya woman died, and search efforts continue.

Migrant vessel sinks off Malaysia-Thailand border, hundreds missing. (Reuters/X)

Hundreds went missing after a boat sank near the Thailand-Malaysia border on Sunday, the Malaysian maritime authority said, adding that there were 10 survivors and one body has been recovered.

Anadolu Agency quoted Malaysia’s Kedah police chief Adzli Abu Shah as saying that the group heading to Malaysia from Myanmar first boarded a large vessel carrying 300 people, but as they approached the border, they were ordered to switch to three smaller boats, each holding roughly 100 people, in order to evade detection by authorities.

“However, three days ago, the boat they were on capsized, and the incident is believed to have occurred in Thai waters before they drifted into Malaysian waters," he said.

First Admiral Romli Mustafa, the maritime authority director of the northern Malaysian states of Kedah and Perlis, said more victims might still be found at sea some three days after the sinking of the vessel, which left Buthidaung, Myanmar. The survivors include three Myanmar men, two Rohingya men and one Bangladeshi man.

State media Bernama quoted Kedah police chief Adzli Abu Shah as saying that the body found in the incident was that of a Rohingya woman.

Meanwhile, the status of other two boats is not known and a search-and-rescue operation was ongoing, Adzli said.

Members of the Rohingya community in Myanmar continue to face abuse, discrimination, and statelessness, often fleeing the country.

News world Hundreds Go Missing As Boat Capsizes Near Thailand-Malaysia Border, 1 Body Found

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