In brief
Dozens are feared missing and one person has died following the sinking of a migrant boat near the Malaysia-Thailand border. The vessel reportedly capsized near the southern Thai island of Ko Tarutao, with searches ongoing for survivors. This event highlights the perilous journeys undertaken by migrants fleeing persecution and hardship.
Dozens of people are missing and one person has died after a boat carrying migrants sank near the border between Thailand and Malaysia.
The vessel is believed to have capsized near the southern Thai island of Ko Tarutao on Thursday, according to the Malaysian Coast Guard.
Ten people have been rescued and the body of a woman was found floating in the sea.
Maritime officials believe the victims are part of a group of about 300 people who had been traveling on a larger vessel before splitting onto small boats as they approached Malaysia.
Those rescued near the Malaysian resort of Langkawi include three Myanmar men, two Rohingya men, and one Bangladeshi man, as reported by Malaysia's state-run agency Bernama. The body found in the water was identified as that of a Rohingya woman.
Efforts to locate more survivors are currently underway.
The predominantly Muslim Rohingya community has fled Buddhist-majority Myanmar in large numbers in recent years to escape persecution, and ongoing conflict has continued to drive vulnerable individuals onto overcrowded vessels seeking a better life in Malaysia.
Officials report that many of those fleeing would have paid upwards of $3,000 (£2,300) for passage.
