More than 500 people are feared dead after two boats carrying Rohingya refugees capsized in the Bay of Bengal, officials said Thursday.

The International Organization for Migration and the UN refugee agency said the boats left Myanmar’s Rakhine state in late June.

One boat with around 250 people lost contact shortly after departure.

A second boat carrying about 280 people is believed to have sunk off Myanmar’s Ayeyarwady coast on July 8.

The agencies said the incidents and casualty figures have not been officially confirmed.

They noted that recent monsoon rains and flooding made the journey especially dangerous.

Around 1.2 million stateless Rohingya remain in overcrowded refugee camps in Bangladesh.

They fled violence by Myanmar’s security forces, which the United States declared a genocide in 2017.

Steep cuts to foreign aid have led to ration cuts in the camps.

The unrest has driven more Rohingya to attempt the dangerous ocean crossing to Malaysia.

The UNHCR said more than 6,500 Rohingya fled and nearly 900 were reported dead or missing in 2025.

The agencies urged stronger international efforts to prevent further loss of life on one of the world’s deadliest maritime routes.