This article was originally published by Radio Free Asia and is reprinted with permission.
A boat carrying more than 80 people off the coast of southern Myanmar overturned on Sunday night and eight people were confirmed dead and 17 were missing, including children heading back to school after a holiday, a rescue worker told Radio Free Asia.
The crowded ferry capsized when it encountered strong currents soon after setting off from the island village of Kyauk Kar, bound for Myeik town to the south in the Tanintharyi region, said a resident of the area who declined to be identified due to media restrictions imposed by military authorities.
“We only managed to recover eight bodies last night. There are a lot still missing,” said the rescue worker who also declined to be identified. “There are also survivors. We don’t know the exact list. Right now, it’s chaos.”
Boat accidents are common in Myanmar, both on its many rivers and off its coasts. Hundreds of commuters, migrant workers and refugees have been involved in accidents this year.
The resident said students heading back to school after the Thadingyut holiday, along with their parents and others displaced by recent conflict in the area, were among the victims of the accident that occurred as the ferry was passing through a channel known for treacherous currents.
“From Kyauk Kar there’s … the opening of the ocean where the current is too strong,” one resident said. “When the current was too rough, due to the boat’s position and because it was top heavy, it overturned.”
The eight people found dead were identified as seven women between the ages of 16 and 60, and a three-month-old boy, residents said.
According to a rescue committee, 47 people survived while 17 children were unaccounted for. Residents and civil society organizations were searching for more victims.
Another rescue worker told RFA that there may have been more people on the boat than initially reported.
“It is said that there were 80 people on the boat, but the children were not listed,” the second worker said. “In total, there may have been nearly a hundred on board.”
Residents said the passengers included war refugees and students returning home for the weekend.
A resident of Kyauk Kar village told RFA that the boat capsized due to overloading, combined with strong currents and waves.
Among the missing are seven children under the age of ten, as well as several students. A rescue worker told RFA that hopes of finding them alive are slim.
“When the boat capsized, it flipped onto its deck, and there were still bodies trapped inside. The exact number remains uncertain,” the third rescue worker said. “The boat has been missing for over a day now, and it’s possible that all 17 missing people were inside. … Given the time that passed, it is unlikely that any of the 17 will survive.”
The military has not published any information about the accident, and calls by RFA to Tanintharyi region’s junta spokesperson, Thet Naing, went unanswered.
