Two Rohingya Boats with Over 500 People Missing in Bay of Bengal

Herz — World Desk · 16 July 2026 at 15:22 · 30s summary · 3 min read

What We Know

The IOM and UNHCR announced on July 16, 2026 from Geneva the disappearance of two boats that left Rakhine State — formerly known as Arakan, an administrative subdivision of Myanmar (Burma) bordering Bangladesh — in late June 2026 headed for Malaysia.

The two vessels were carrying a total of more than 500 refugees, mostly Rohingya, a Muslim minority persecuted for decades in Myanmar, a predominantly Buddhist country. According to an IOM spokesman, no survivors have been reported at this stage.

Among the passengers were people from the Cox's Bazar refugee camp, a port city in the far southeast of Bangladesh, where hundreds of thousands of Rohingya live in precarious conditions with no prospect for the future.

Timeline

1. Late June 2026
   The two boats depart from Rakhine State (Myanmar) headed for Malaysia.
2. July 8, 2026
   Contact is lost with the second boat shortly after its departure; the IOM and UNHCR report that the vessel reportedly sank on this date.
3. July 16, 2026
   The IOM and UNHCR announce from Geneva the disappearance of the two boats and the absence of survivors reported to date.

The Two Vessels

The first boat was carrying approximately 250 people. According to the Rohingya Khobor portal, it reportedly capsized near the coast and bodies were reportedly washed ashore according to residents — this information could not be independently verified.

The second boat was carrying approximately 280 people. The IOM and UNHCR report that contact was lost shortly after departure and that the vessel reportedly sank on July 8, 2026.