Over 12,000 Rohingyas flee to Bangladesh in 24 hours: official

The southeastern Cox's Bazar today witnessed fresh influx of over 12,000 overnight as a seemingly never-ending flow of human surges continued to enter Bangladesh to flee atrocities at their home in northern Rakhine State of Myanmar, officials said.

“Around 12,000 Rohingyas crossed the border since yesterday and we temporarily kept them near the border to be shifted to their designated camps,” a BGB official told newsmen on a frontier with Myanmar.

The fresh surge of forcibly displaced Myanmar people joined about 536,000 Rohingya Muslims who have fled Myanmar since August 25 when the Burmese military launched a crackdown with supports of majority Buddhist monks in Rakhine to flush out alleged terrorists following alleged attacks on security outposts.

The report came as at least 12 people drowned and dozens more are missing after a boat packed with Rohingyas fleeing to Bangladesh sank yesterday while reports suggest it was carrying an estimated 50 people.

“So far 12 bodies, including six children and four women, have been recovered,” a police official at the scene said.

Source: BSS