Seven dead and hundreds missing as migrant boat sinks

At least seven people have died and hundreds more are missing after a migrant boat capsized near Malaysia. The vessel, which left from Myanmar's Rakhine state, failed to arrive in Malaysia after leaving two weeks ago. It is understood that a group of 300 people, most of whom are Rohingyas, boarded a large ship before being placed into three smaller boats to evade detection as they sailed closer to the coast.

13 people have been rescued so far, leaving hundreds of people feared dead. One of the boats is believed to have sunk with 70 people on board in Thai waters on Thursday - the other two boats are yet to be found. Rescue teams were deployed, as the search area expanded from 170 to 256 square nautical miles. The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) estimates that the rescue mission could last up to seven days.

The MMEA said they recovered the body of a woman from the sea on Saturday, and the remaining six bodies were found on Sunday.

Of the survivors, three are Myanmar nationals, two Rohingya refugees and one is a Bangladeshi man.

"There is a possibility that more victims will be found," Romli Mustafa, first admiral of the MMEA, warned.

The migrants had left from the town of Buthidaung in Myanmar where ethnic violence has targeted the Rohingya community, with the state having endured years of conflict and hunger.

The Rohingyas, who are primarily Muslim, are denied citizenship by the government of Myanmar. Since 2017, a deadly crackdown resulted in thousands of Rohingyas fleeing across the border and into Bangladesh.

The conflict has also pushed many people to make the perilous journey to Malaysia on crowded boats. Officials estimate that many of them would have each paid more than $3,000 (£2,300) for the sea passage.

The UNHCR, the UN's refugee agency, says around 5,200 Rohingya refugees have made the dangerous maritime crossing since the start of the year. So far, nearly 600 people have been reported either missing or dead.

Malaysia is a popular destination for the Rohingya community because of its large Malay Muslim population.

There are around 117,670 Rohingya refugees registered with the UNHCR in Malaysia, however, the country has tried to limit their numbers.

"Cross-border syndicates are actively exploiting immigrants by making them victims of human trafficking using sea routes that are highly risky. The MMEA will not compromise with any parties involved in human trafficking activities," Mr Mustafa added.