36 people died in the migrant shipwreck in Malaysia

Malaysia has suspended the search for migrants missing after their boat capsized 11 days ago, with authorities pulling 36 bodies from the wreckage off the Thai-Malaysian coast.

Fourteen survivors were rescued after a shipwreck on November 6 near Thailand’s Tarutao Island, Nevs.Az conveys calling foreign media.

Officials said yes a vessel was transporting around 70 undocumented migrants, mostly from the persecuted Rohingya community in Myanmar.

“The search and rescue operation will be suspended today (Monday) at 1830 (1030 GMT),” said Zainudin Mohd Zuki, deputy director of operations for the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) in the northern states of Kedah and Perlis.

“We examined all factors, including the size of the area, the deployment of assets, the duration of the operation and information about the incident.”

“However, if there are any new leads or indications, we will reassess and reactivate the operation to search for the remaining missing victims,” ​​Zainuddin told a news conference.

Malaysian rescuers have recovered 29 bodies, while their Thai counterparts have found seven in recent days.

“As of Monday, Malaysian and Thai authorities have recovered a total of 36 bodies,” Romli Mustafa, director of MMEA in Kedah and Perlis, told AFP.

14 survivors – mostly Rohingya and Bangladeshi nationals – have been found in Malaysian waters since operations began on November 8, and Monday marked the 10th day of the search.

At least 19 vessels and more than 300 personnel searched an area of ​​about 1,750 square nautical miles, roughly eight times the size of Singapore.

The passengers on the overturned ship were likely part of a larger group of about 300 people who left Myanmar two weeks ago and were split between at least two vessels, officials said.

Malaysian police reported the second boat missing.

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

But the sea crossings, facilitated by human trafficking syndicates, are dangerous and often lead to capsizing of overloaded boats.

The Rohingya have been persecuted in Myanmar for decades, and thousands risk their lives each year to escape repression and civil war, often in makeshift boats.

More than 5,300 Rohingya fled Bangladesh and Myanmar by sea between January and early November, and more than 600 were reported dead or missing, the United Nations refugee agency and the International Organization for Migration said last week.

Nevs.Az