Guwahti, July 16: More than 500 people are feared dead after two overcrowded boats carrying mostly Rohingya refugees reportedly capsized in the Bay of Bengal in recent weeks, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said on Thursday.

According to the UN agencies, the two vessels departed from Myanmar’s western Rakhine State in late June. The passengers included Rohingya refugees who had fled from camps in neighbouring Bangladesh in search of safety.

The first boat, carrying an estimated 250 people, lost contact shortly after leaving Rakhine. The second vessel, reportedly carrying around 280 people, is believed to have sunk off Myanmar’s Ayeyarwady coast on July 8.

In a joint statement, the UNHCR and IOM said they were deeply concerned about the reported incidents, although the exact number of casualties has not yet been officially confirmed.

“While the incidents and casualty figures have yet to be officially confirmed, UNHCR and IOM are gravely concerned by the potentially devastating loss of life,” the agencies said.

The two boats were part of the perilous sea journeys frequently undertaken by members of Myanmar’s persecuted Rohingya minority, who continue to flee violence, persecution, and worsening humanitarian conditions.

The latest incident is believed to be one of the deadliest maritime tragedies involving Rohingya refugees this year. Human rights organisations have repeatedly warned that the lack of safe and legal migration routes forces desperate refugees onto overcrowded and unseaworthy boats operated by human smugglers.

The Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea have witnessed several such tragedies over the years, highlighting the ongoing risks faced by displaced Rohingya communities.

The UN agencies have urged regional governments to strengthen search and rescue operations and work towards addressing the root causes that continue to force Rohingya families to undertake these dangerous sea crossings.

The tragedy comes amid the prolonged Rohingya crisis, with hundreds of thousands of refugees still displaced following Myanmar’s military crackdown in Rakhine State in 2017.