More Than 500 Rohingya Refugees Vanish at Sea After Leaving Myanmar

Two boats carrying an estimated 530 people have not been heard from since departing June 29

Two boats carrying an estimated 530 Rohingya refugees have disappeared after leaving Myanmar on June 29, according to the BBC, raising fears for the fate of everyone aboard.

The disappearance adds to a long pattern of perilous sea crossings undertaken by Rohingya fleeing Myanmar, where the Muslim minority has faced persecution and displacement for years. Boats carrying Rohingya refugees frequently attempt dangerous voyages across the Bay of Bengal and Andaman Sea in search of safety, often in vessels that are overcrowded and poorly equipped for open water.

No confirmed details have emerged about the current whereabouts or condition of the passengers, underscoring the difficulty of tracking such crossings once boats leave shore.

— Compiled from reporting by the BBC.