18 Rohingyas rescued, 13 missing off Teknaf

 
COX’S BAZAR, July 31: At least 18 Rohingya men were rescued and 13 others remained missing after a boat carrying people from Myanmar capsized off the Teknaf coast on Friday while attempting to enter Bangladesh, according to officials and rescuers.

The boat, believed to have been carrying 31 Rohingyas, reportedly sank after leaving Myanmar's Rakhine State, where fighting between the Myanmar military and the Arakan Army has intensified.

Fishermen who joined the rescue operation said they pulled 18 men from the sea, while 13 others, including the boatman, remained unaccounted for. No women or children were among those rescued.

Lieutenant Colonel Hanifur Rahman Bhuiyan, commanding officer of BGB Battalion-2 in Teknaf, confirmed that the survivors had been taken into Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) custody.

"We are verifying the circumstances under which they entered Bangladesh. More details will be provided after the verification process is completed," he said.
Abdul Mannan, acting chairman of Sabrang Union Parishad, said the passengers appeared to have been fleeing the escalating conflict in Myanmar's Rakhine State.