Shawdesh Desk:

At least 15 Rohingyas were killed as a trawler sank in the Bay of Bengal near St Martin’s Island early Tuesday while going to Malaysia illegally, Coast Guard sources said.

The incident took place 10 kilometres northwest of St Martin’s Island on Tuesday morning. The identity of the deceased could not be known immediately.

Lt Commander M Hamidul Islam, media officer, Coast Guard’s Dhaka Head Office, said two trawlers left Teknaf’s Monakhali area for Malaysia with over 250 Rohingya people at 8pm on Monday and one of the trawlers sank near 3-4 km off the Saint Martin’s Island.

Members of Bangladesh Coast Guard and Navy in a joint drive retrieved 15 bodies so far, while 63 Rohingyas were rescued alive at 7am, Islam added.