Boat capsizes killing 15 Rohingya refugees

At least 15 people have drowned and dozens are unaccounted for after a boat carrying Rohingya refugees sank off the coast of southern Bangladesh yesterday, officials said.

About 130 people, mainly women and children, were packed on a 43ft-long trawler that was trying to cross the Bay of Bengal to Malaysia, according to Hamidul Islam, a coast guard spokesman. He added that 70 people had been rescued so far. The boat was one of two vessels attempting the 1,243-mile journey yesterday.