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Rohingya boat sinks off west Burma | Rohingya boat sinks off west Burma |
(35 minutes later) | |
A boat carrying Rohingya Muslims has capsized off western Burma, aid agencies say. | A boat carrying Rohingya Muslims has capsized off western Burma, aid agencies say. |
The boat, said to be carrying up to 200 passengers, was evacuating people ahead of Cyclone Mahasen, which is expected to hit the area later in the week. | The boat, said to be carrying up to 200 passengers, was evacuating people ahead of Cyclone Mahasen, which is expected to hit the area later in the week. |
It sank off Pauktaw township in Rakhine state late on Monday, leaving an unknown number of people missing. | It sank off Pauktaw township in Rakhine state late on Monday, leaving an unknown number of people missing. |
Tens of thousands of Rohingya Muslims are living in temporary camps in Rakhine after violence last year. | Tens of thousands of Rohingya Muslims are living in temporary camps in Rakhine after violence last year. |
The UN had called for an urgent evacuation ahead of the storm, warning that many areas where displaced people are now living are in low-lying coastal areas at risk of flooding or tidal surges. | The UN had called for an urgent evacuation ahead of the storm, warning that many areas where displaced people are now living are in low-lying coastal areas at risk of flooding or tidal surges. |
Barbara Manzi, head of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA), told the BBC from Sittwe that search-and-rescue operations were ongoing. | |
"It appears that this boat left the camp with the blessing of the authorities before hitting rocks," she said. | |
There were between 100 and 200 people on board the boat, she added, with some survivors. |