A large number of people are dead, and thousands more will die after an illegal fishing boat capsized while trying to reach Malaysia with nearly 280 passengers on board from Myanmar and Bangladesh.
Only 9 survivors have now been accounted for. They were discovered by a passing freighter called the MQ Meghna Pride on 9/27/14. The survivors were taken to a Coast Guard ship called the Mansoor Ali.
According to initial reports, the vessel had been at sea for many days when it sank due to severe weather conditions, strong waves and currents. Although most refugees were travelling to find work in Malaysia, they were also victims of human trafficking operations exploiting the vulnerable populations in Bangladesh and Myanmar.
A survivor’s perspective on the journey
A survivor shared horrifying stories of the conditions endured during this voyage as well as the existence of an active human trafficking ring that he was involved with. Rafiqul Islam, a Rohingya from the Kutupalong refugee camp, stated he had gone to the market to find work on the 4th of April, only to find himself held as a slave for four days and forced onto the unseaworthy vessel on the 7th of April.
“People who tried to escape would be tortured,” said Islam who said many of these houses in the area serve as temporary prisons for migrants who were smuggled by traffickers.
Overcrowding and terrible conditions
Logistics surrounding this journey clearly show the immense dangers faced by traffickers:
Manifest: On board the boat with approximately 150 Rohingya and 130 Bangladeshi people, with 21 females and 4 children.
Route: There were many people transferred from Marine Drive to a larger fishing vessel on 04 April, which would ultimately head for St. Martin’s Island.
Voyage: The ship left the waters of Myanmar before reaching the Andaman Islands by 08 April.
According to Islam, once the weather deteriorated, traffickers would compel the passengers to occupy a total of four small fish storage areas of the boat because they would no longer allow the passengers into the main part of the vessel. “There would be 25 to 30 people dead just from being suffocated or extremely crowded before the boat ever capsized,” he said. The traffickers also reportedly threatened to sink the ship if the passengers would not remain in the fish storage areas of the boat.
The last minutes
Eventually, once the boat was overturned after being hit by huge waves, Islam survived for a long time by holding on to a 2-liter plastic water bottle until he was found by the MT Meghna Pride. The fate of the other 250+ passengers remains to be seen and is being monitored by the Bangladesh Coast Guard and international organisations.
