Malaysia searches for migrants after deadly boat sinking

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Malaysia was searching for survivors after a boat carrying migrants capsized near the Thai border, killing at least one and leaving many others missing, a maritime agency official said Sunday.

The group is believed to be part of at least 300 undocumented migrants who departed from Myanmar, before one of their boats capsized near Thailand's Tarutao Island and just north of the Malaysian island resort of Langkawi.

"So far, 11 people including one body have been found," Romli Mustafa, director of the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) in Kedah state, said in a statement.

There was a possibility of more victims being found at sea, he added.

Kedah police chief Adzli Abu Shah told Malaysian media that the boat "carrying 90 people" is believed to have capsized three days ago.

Two other vessels carrying a similar number of passengers each have also been reported missing, he was quoted as saying by the Free Malaysia Today news website.

The body recovered was believed to be that of a woman from Myanmar's persecuted Rohingya minority.

Adzli said preliminary investigations showed that the group of 300 boarded a large vessel that carried them into waters close to Malaysia.

"However, as they neared the border they were instructed to transfer onto three smaller boats, each carrying around 100 people," he told the Bernama national news agency.

"We have requested the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency and the Marine Police to launch search and rescue operations and to look for the other missing boats," Adzli said, quoted by the New Straits Times.

The Malaysian police force did not immediately respond to AFP's requests to comment on the incident.

Relatively affluent Malaysia is home to millions of migrants from poorer parts of Asia, many of them undocumented, working in industries including construction and agriculture.

But the crossings, facilitated by human trafficking syndicates, are often hazardous, leading to boats capsizing.

"Cross-border syndicates are now increasingly active in exploiting migrants by making them victims of human trafficking using high-risk sea routes," the MMEA's Romli said.

The syndicates charge between $3,200 to $3,500 per person for passage into the country, Malaysian media said.

Boats are often poorly maintained, carry no life jackets, and many of the migrants cannot swim.

In one of the worst months, in December 2021, more than 20 migrants drowned in several capsizing incidents off the Malaysian coastline.