Boat carrying Malaysia-bound migrants sinks off Bangladesh; 20 missing

A fishing boat carrying migrants bound for Malaysia capsized Thursday off the southern coast of Bangladesh and about 20 people were missing, officials said.

Local government official Nurul Bashar Chowdhury said rescuers saved 39 people after the boat sank in strong currents in the Bay of Bengal. He said survivors reported that up to 60 people were on board. The ship was also carrying a large amount of ice to preserve fish, he said.

Rescuers were searching for more survivors, Chowdhury said.

Local administrator Ruhul Amin said the passengers were being taken by traffickers to Malaysia for unconfirmed jobs.

"We are trying to get more information from the survivors, but for now our focus is on the rescue operation," he said.

Mohammed Shajahan, 30, who survived the accident, said traffickers promised him that he would get a job in Malaysia as soon as he arrived there.

Traffickers attract people from across Bangladesh with false promises of jobs in many foreign countries, including Malaysia.

The Associated Press