UNITED NATIONS, July 16 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday expressed "deep concern and sadness" over reports that two boats carrying more than 500 people may have capsized off the coast of Myanmar.
"The Secretary-General joins our colleagues at the International Organization for Migration and the UN Refugee Agency to express his deep concern and sadness about reports that two boats carrying more than 500 people may have capsized off the coast of Myanmar in recent days," his spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said.
According to preliminary information, the vessels departed Myanmar's Rakhine state in late June carrying mostly Rohingya passengers, including some who had reportedly traveled from refugee camps in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, Dujarric told a daily press briefing.
One boat lost contact shortly after departure, while a second is believed to have sunk off Myanmar's coast on July 8, he said.
"If verified, this tragedy would add to the nearly 300 people reported missing or dead in the Andaman Sea and Bay of Bengal so far this year," Dujarric said, reiterating his call for sustained international support for Rohingya refugees and the communities hosting them. ■
