Arakan News Desk: Bangladesh Coast Guard recovered the bodies of three Rohingya women and rescued 46 people alive after a Malaysia-bound trawler capsized in the Bay of Bengal in Teknaf of Cox’s Bazar on Tuesday.
Delwar Hossain, contingent commander of Coast Guard’s Baharchara Outpost Station in Teknaf, said the trawler smuggling Rohingyas to Malaysia capsized in the deep sea off the coast of Hormunia para of Baharchara union of Teknaf upazila.
He said locals informed the coast guard after seeing some Rohingyas swimming from the sea in Hormunia para of Baharchara Union of Teknaf on Tuesday morning. Later, coast guard members reached the spot and rescued them.
Among the 46 rescued, eight were Rohingya women, 34 Rohingya men and four other Bangladeshi nationals, he said.
Inspector Noor Mohammad of Teknaf Baharchara Police Outpost said “So far, the bodies of 3 people have been recovered. The dead bodies were recovered from the sea coast of Shilkhali in Baharchara Union of Teknaf at around 1:00pm.”
“The recused people are sick from consuming salt water. They are being treated,” he added.
During questioning, they told the Coast Guard that they were to trying to flee to Malaysia illegally.
It was initially reported that 85 passengers were on board the trawler, he said adding that “So far rescue operations are ongoing with the help of the Coast Guard. But we don’t know how many people are missing”. UNB
