Navy, Air Force join rescue operation as 15 die in Rohingya boat capsize

Bangladesh Navy and Air Force have joined a rescue operation after at least 15 people died and dozens of others went missing when a trawler carrying Rohingya refugees capsized in the Bay of Bengal.

As many as 71 people were rescued alive after the trawler sank 10 kilometres northwest of St Martin’s Island on Tuesday morning, according to the Bangladesh Coastguard.

“Four of the victims are children and the rest are women. We have primarily found out that there were about 138 people on board that trawler,” Lieutenant Commander Nayem ul Haque, chief of the Coastguard’s St Martin’s station, told bdnews24.com.

A large group of Rohingya refugees boarded two fishing trawlers from Teknaf’s Noakhalipara in the early hours of Tuesday to illegally travel to Malaysia, according to the Coastguard and local administration officials.

Later, one of the trawlers started to sink after an accident around 5:45am. Fishermen on nearby boats informed the coastguards after witnessing the incident. Members of the Coastguard from three stations subsequently arrived at the spot and began the rescue operations at 7:30am. A Bangladesh Navy ship joined them later.

 “At least 52 people are still missing and a search is on to find them,” said Coastguard officer Nayem.

Two aircraft of Bangladesh Air Force joined the rescue operation afterwards, said Cox's Bazar Additional Superintendent of Police Md Iqbal Hossain.

The trawler has been rescued with the efforts of Coastguard and Bangladesh Navy. Coastguard officials believed that the incident took place due to an engine failure.

The other trawler was yet to be traced. The authorities suspected that it may have crossed the border with Myanmar by the time of the accident.

A total of 46 women and 25 men, who were rescued alive, have received treatment at hospitals on St Martin’s island.

One of the rescued people was suspected as a trafficker, according to the police.

Coastguard’s Teknaf Station chief Lt Col Md Sohel Rana said the bodies had been sent to the Teknaf Police Station.

The survivors will be brought back from St Martin’s island later, he said.

Two Bangladeshi and two Rohingya survivors had been detained as suspected traffickers, he added.