300 illegal immigrants still missing off Andamans

Some bodies of illegal Bangladeshi and Myanmarese immigrants were washed ashore in the Andaman islands on Tuesday, even as the Indian Coast Guard and local police continue search and rescue operations for the 300 people missing in the seas off Andaman coast after they reportedly jumped from a rickety boat that had been drifting for 13 days and tried to swim to the Little Andaman island.

Speaking to The Indian Express from Port Blair, IG S P Sharma, Commander, Coast Guard (A&N Region), said so far 105 people had been rescued, and two confirmed dead. “The survivors include both Bangladesh and Myanmar nationals. As per their account, 412 of them were adrift for nearly 15 days on the high seas after leaving from Cox Bazaar in Bangladesh for Malaysia in mid-November. They were without food and potable water for nearly 12 days. Upon spotting a lighthouse on the Andaman coast, most of them dived into the sea in a bid to swim to the shore,” Sharma said.

He added the rescued immigrants were in a boat without an engine, cabin, sails or oars. “There was no way to steer the boat as the rudder and tiller were also broken. It appears to be of the type used for cargo,” said Sharma.

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