Desk Correspondent , Port Blair - A humanitarian tragedy is unfolding in the Andaman Sea after a boat carrying roughly 250 people, including Rohingya refugees and Bangladeshi nationals, capsized en route to Malaysia. United Nations agencies say the trawler likely went down due to heavy winds, rough seas, and overcrowding, with only nine people rescued so far, deepening fears that many passengers may have died.

The vessel reportedly departed from Teknaf in southern Bangladesh and was heading toward Malaysia, a route often used by desperate migrants and refugees seeking safety or work. According to survivor accounts reported by the media, the passengers were packed tightly onboard and faced worsening weather before the boat capsized near the Andaman Islands. Bangladesh’s Coast Guard said one of its vessels rescued nine people on April 9, while the status of the remaining passengers remained unclear as search efforts continued.

The disaster has once again exposed the deadly risks Rohingya refugees and other migrants face on unsafe sea routes in the region. With hundreds still unaccounted for, the incident is a stark reminder of the human cost of trafficking, displacement, and the lack of safe pathways for migration.