The tragedy unfolded north of the popular resort of Langkawi, near the sea border of Malaysia with Thailand. According to the Malaysian Maritime Safety Agency (MMEA), a small boat carrying immigrants sank near the Thai island of Tarutao, killing at least seven people.
Malaysian authorities believe the boat was carrying illegal migrants from Myanmar. He was part of a total group of about 300 people, who were spread over more than one boat. The boat that overturned off Tarutao was reportedly carrying about 90 passengers, Kent State Police Chief Anjli Abu Shah said.
MMEA Regional Director for Kentach and Perlis States, Romli Mustafa, said three survivors and six more bodies were found near Langkawi on Sunday, bringing the death toll so far to seven. In total, 13 people from the boat have been found alive.
Of the six bodies recovered on Sunday, one belonged to a little girl and five were women, according to Mustafa, who did not specify their nationalities. The first body found on Saturday was that of a Rohingya Muslim woman from Myanmar, authorities said.
Search and rescue operations were suspended at sunset and are expected to resume on Monday. Rescuers do not rule out the possibility of finding other survivors, as several people are still missing.
According to the first data of the investigation, the boat seems to have capsized three days ago. It is estimated that the approximately 300 migrants had initially boarded a larger ship, which took them close to Malaysian territorial waters. When they approached the border, they reportedly split into three smaller boats, each carrying about 100 people, Abu Sa explained, according to Bernama news agency. The fate of the other two boats remains unknown.
Malaysia has long been a destination for millions of workers from poor Asian countries. Many arrive without papers and work in construction and agriculture. The journey by sea, organized by smuggling rings, is extremely dangerous and often ends in tragedy. In December 2021, more than 20 migrants had drowned in back-to-back shipwrecks off the coast of the country.
According to local press, candidates for this perilous journey pay between $3,200 and $3,500 to reach Malaysia by sea. Many of the boats are in poor condition, have no life jackets, and many of the passengers do not know how to swim, which makes any shipwreck almost fatal.