Over 500 feared dead after two Rohingya boats reportedly sink off Myanmar, U.N. agencies warn

U.N. migration and refugee agencies warned Thursday that more than 500 people are feared dead after two boats carrying mostly Rohingya reportedly capsized off Myanmar’s coast, in what could become one of the deadliest maritime incidents on the route this year. The toll has not been officially confirmed.

In a joint statement published July 16, the International Organization for Migration and the U.N. refugee agency, UNHCR, said they were “deeply concerned” by reports that the two vessels, carrying more than 500 people in total, may have gone down after departing from Myanmar’s Rakhine State in late June.

According to the agencies, the first boat was carrying around 250 people and lost contact shortly after departure. The second was carrying about 280 people and is believed to have sunk off Myanmar’s Ayeyarwady coast on July 8.

The passengers were mostly Rohingya, the agencies said, including some people who had reportedly traveled from refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh. The Rohingya are a mostly Muslim minority from Myanmar who have faced years of persecution and displacement.

IOM and UNHCR stressed that neither the incidents nor the casualty figures had been officially confirmed. “While the incidents and casualty figures have yet to be officially confirmed, UNHCR and IOM are gravely concerned by the potentially devastating loss of life,” the agencies said in the joint statement.

Reuters and The Associated Press, citing the U.N. statement, reported that Myanmar national and regional spokespeople did not respond to requests for comment.

The agencies said the journeys took place outside the regular sailing season, when conditions at sea are typically more dangerous. They also pointed to recent torrential rain and flooding across the region as factors that increased the risks of such voyages.

If confirmed, the incidents would add to nearly 300 people already reported missing or dead in the Andaman Sea and Bay of Bengal so far in 2026, according to the same statement. IOM and UNHCR said nearly 900 people were reported missing or dead on the northern Indian Ocean route in 2025.

The warning underscores the continuing danger of sea crossings used by Rohingya refugees and other migrants trying to leave Myanmar and Bangladesh. More than 700,000 Rohingya fled Myanmar in 2017 during a military crackdown, and many remain in crowded refugee camps in neighboring Bangladesh.

U.N. agencies have increasingly described the Andaman Sea and Bay of Bengal route as one of the world’s deadliest maritime corridors for displaced people. Thursday’s statement framed the reported sinkings as part of a broader pattern of dangerous movement by sea rather than an isolated episode.

The agencies called for governments in the region and beyond to do more to prevent further deaths. “Stronger regional and international efforts are needed to prevent further loss of life along one of the world's deadliest maritime routes, including through enhanced search and rescue efforts, access to asylum and protection, and actions against smuggling and trafficking networks,” the joint statement said.