What Happened After a Migrant Boat Capsized Off the Malaysia-Thailand Waters?
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- One confirmed death in migrant boat tragedy.
- Six individuals rescued from capsized vessel.
- Boat part of larger syndicate operation.
- Search and rescue efforts ongoing.
- Humanitarian crisis persists for undocumented migrants.
Kuala Lumpur, Nov 9 (NationPress) Tragically, one person has been confirmed dead while six individuals have been successfully rescued after a vessel carrying nearly 100 undocumented migrants capsized in the maritime waters between Malaysia and Thailand, as reported by local police on Sunday.
The police chief of Kedah, Adzli Abu Shah, revealed that the ill-fated boat was part of a larger operation involving a syndicate transporting around 300 people.
Approximately a month ago, around 300 migrants embarked on a larger ship. As they approached the Malaysian maritime border, the syndicate split the group into three smaller boats to evade law enforcement, according to reports from Xinhua, citing Malaysia's national news agency, Bernama.
Three days prior, a boat carrying around 100 migrants sank, leaving the status of the remaining two boats uncertain, as stated by Adzli, according to Bernama.
A comprehensive search and rescue operation, involving marine police and the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency, is currently in progress.
In a related incident, on October 27, four individuals perished when a migrant vessel sank near the Greek island of Lesvos, as reported by the Greek state broadcaster ERT.
Seven additional migrants were rescued, with ongoing search efforts hampered by strong winds reaching force six on the Beaufort scale.
The actual number of individuals aboard during the incident remains ambiguous, as the survivors, all Sudanese nationals, face language barriers in communication.
Since 2015, Greece has emerged as a significant entry point for irregular migrants and refugees into the European Union, with over one million arrivals documented. Sadly, countless lives have been lost at sea during these perilous journeys.
On October 17, Greek authorities reported that two individuals died, and ten others were injured when a migrant boat sank off the coast of Chios.
The vessel crashed onto rocks under still unclear circumstances on Thursday evening, according to the Hellenic Coast Guard.
Twenty-nine people were aboard during the incident, but the nationalities of the deceased and rescued remain undisclosed.