UK Edition
'Ten Rohingya children killed' as refugee boat fleeing Burma capsizes
Up to 10 children were among at least 12 Rohingya Muslim refugees feared to have drowned as they fled Burma.
Police believe up to 35 people were crammed into the fishing boat when it sank on the Nar River on route to Bangladesh.
Some reports say 13 people had been rescued following the capsizing late on Sunday evening, although it has not been confirmed how many passengers are still unaccounted for.
Reuters news agency said ten children, one man and one woman had drowned, citing a police officer.
The incident brings the total number of Rohingya to have died in boat capsizings while trying to reach Bangladesh up to 155, The Associated Press said.
More than half a million Rohingya had fled Burma over the last six weeks amid claims of rape, torture and murder at the hands of the country’s powerful army in the troubled Rakhine State.
The country’s leaders claim they are carrying out a “security offensive” after police outposts were targeted by coordinated attacks.
The Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army, who launched the initial attacks, declared a one-month ceasefire from September 10, which is due to end at midnight on Monday.
Aung San Suu Kyi, Burma’s de-facto leader, has refused to blame the military to the spiralling violence, which has been branded by the UN as a "textbook example of ethnic cleansing.”
Bangladesh says it will continue to support the Rohingya but is pressuring Burma to take the refugees back.