GENEVA, April 14 (Xinhua) -- About 250 people are missing after a boat carrying refugees capsized in the Andaman Sea, according to a joint statement released Tuesday by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) offices in Bangladesh.
The statement said the trawler departed from southern Bangladesh and was bound for Malaysia when it capsized and sank after encountering strong winds and rough seas, with overcrowding worsening conditions. Women and children were among those on board.
The statement did not specify when the incident occurred. Media reports said the vessel was carrying around 280 people and had left Bangladesh on April 4.
The Bangladesh Coast Guard said a patrol vessel rescued nine survivors on the afternoon of April 9. One survivor said the boat capsized four days after departure and that those on board had drifted at sea for nearly 36 hours before being rescued. ■
