Around 250 people, including children, are feared dead after a migrant boat capsized in the Andaman Sea off the coast of Bangladesh, AFP reported on April 15.

The boat sailed from Southern Bangladesh for Malaysia on April 4 with about 280 people on board, according to the United Nations, AFP added. Speaking after the sinking, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees cited multiple reasons for the incident, including strong winds, rough seas and overcrowding without adding specific details.

A passing vessel rescued nine people, reports add, women included, subsequent reports by the Bangladesh Coast Guard indicate. Coast guard spokesperson Lieutenant Commander Sabbir Alam Sujan told AFP that many others were found while clinging to improvised flotation devices such as drums and logs in the deep waters near the Andaman Islands.

Migrants often take routes across the Andaman Sea, which borders Myanmar, Thailand and the Malay Peninsula, to avoid official channels or to save money. The migrants on the boat were, it has been speculated, most likely fleeing overcrowded refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar in Bangladesh, which hosts more than a million displaced Rohingya people - many fleeing the conflict in neighbouring Myanmar.

The UN refugee agency said the incident highlights the severe consequences of large-scale displacement and the continued lack of long-term solutions for the Rohingya population. It added that insecurity in Myanmar and deteriorating conditions in refugee camps are pushing many to undertake such risky journeys.

One of the survivors said that the boat sank on the fourth day of the journey, after which the survivors remained adrift for nearly 36 hours before being rescued.