Tragic Shipwreck Near Langkawi Claims Multiple Lives
At least seven people have died after a boat carrying migrants capsized off the coast of Malaysia near the Thai border, authorities confirmed on Sunday. The vessel, believed to have been transporting undocumented migrants from Myanmar, was part of a larger group of around 300 people attempting to reach Malaysia via dangerous sea routes.
According to Kedah state police chief Adzli Abu Shah, the boat was carrying roughly 90 passengers when it sank near Thailand’s Tarutao Island, just north of Malaysia’s popular island resort Langkawi. Search and rescue teams from the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) discovered three survivors and six additional bodies on Sunday, bringing the total death toll to seven.
MMEA regional director Romli Mustafa said that the recovered victims included five women and a young girl, while the first body found on Saturday was believed to be a Rohingya woman from Myanmar. Romli added that 13 people have been rescued alive so far, but many remain unaccounted for. Search operations were temporarily suspended Sunday evening and will resume Monday, amid fears that more victims could still be at sea.
Missing Boats and Human Trafficking Concerns
Authorities revealed that two other boats, also believed to be carrying part of the same group of migrants from Myanmar, have gone missing. Preliminary investigations suggest that the group initially boarded a larger vessel before being transferred to three smaller boats, each carrying about 100 passengers, as they approached Malaysian waters.
Police have requested the Marine Police and the MMEA to intensify search efforts for the missing boats. The Malaysian police have not yet commented officially, but officials suspect the incident is linked to human trafficking networks operating across the Andaman Sea.
Malaysia, one of Southeast Asia’s more prosperous nations, attracts millions of migrant workers from neighboring countries such as Myanmar, Bangladesh, and Indonesia, many of whom are undocumented and employed in low-wage industries like construction and agriculture. However, these crossings are routinely organized by smuggling syndicates, which often charge migrants up to $3,500 per person for perilous journeys across the sea.
Romli warned that cross-border trafficking rings have become increasingly active, exploiting desperate migrants and exposing them to life-threatening conditions. In December 2021, over 20 migrants drowned in a series of similar incidents off Malaysia’s coast, underscoring the persistent danger of these irregular maritime crossings.
Authorities continue to search for survivors and are investigating the networks behind the latest tragedy, which once again highlights the human cost of Southeast Asia’s migration crisis.
