Thai authorities said they had recovered four bodies, including two children, while Malaysia found seven, bringing the total death toll to 11, according to Reuters.

Who were on board?

Romli said 13 survivors have been found so far, including 11 Rohingya and two Bangladeshis. A preliminary investigation showed the boat had left from Buthidaung in Myanmar’s Rakhine state.

“There is a possibility that more victims will be located as the operation continues,” Romli told reporters. Some of the survivors were Rohingya Muslims, a community long persecuted in Myanmar, local police officials told national media.

The Rohingya, a stateless Muslim minority, have faced years of violence and restrictions in Myanmar and harsh conditions in Bangladesh’s refugee camps. Many attempt dangerous sea journeys to Malaysia and Indonesia in search of safety and better livelihoods.

According to the UN refugee agency, more than 5,100 Rohingya have attempted to leave Myanmar and Bangladesh by boat this year, with nearly 600 people reported dead or missing.

An official from Thailand’s maritime enforcement command centre told Reuters that two of the women recovered were carrying refugee cards identifying them as Rohingya.

Malaysia has in the past accepted Rohingya refugees on humanitarian grounds but has sought to limit arrivals over security and resource concerns. The UN says about 1,17,670 Rohingya are registered in Malaysia, making up nearly 60 per cent of the country’s total refugee population.

In January, Malaysian authorities turned away two boats carrying nearly 300 people believed to be Rohingya Muslims trying to enter the country illegally.