Boat Carrying Around 100 People Capsizes Near Malaysia
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – A boat carrying around 100 people has capsized in the Strait of Malacca and patrol boats have made their way to area, Malaysian maritime authorities said on Thursday.
A member of the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) told the Guardian the boat was found off the coast of Selangor state on the western side of Malaysia.
He would not confirm how many people were on board or what situation they were in although one official is reported to have said that at least 13 people had been killed.
A rescue team had responded to a call from fishermen who saw the boat but had not yet returned to the mainland, Reuters quoted a spokesman for the MMEA as saying.
The region has suffered a human smuggling crisis as thousands of refugees from Myanmar and migrants from Bangladesh have tried to make the perilous trip to Malaysia and Thailand by boat.
Earlier this year, thousands found themselves stranded at sea when the people smugglers in control of the ships abandoned them following a crackdown on illegal detention camps on the mainland. The crackdown made it harder for the smugglers to come ashore and hold the people captive for ransom.
More than 1,000 people were left unaccounted for this year, according to the United Nations. Thai, Malaysian and Indonesian authorities have also turned away migrants.
It is rare for people to attempt the dangerous journey this late in the year as the stormy weather and rough seas makes the already dangerous crossing much riskier.
