At least 15 refugees drown after boat sinks off Bangladesh

Atleast15women and children drowned and more than 50 others were missingafteraboatoverloaded with RohingyarefugeessankoffsouthernBangladeshas it tried to reach Malaysia Tuesday, officials said.

Some 138 people mainly women and children were packed on a trawler barely 13 metreslong, trying to cross the Bay of Bengal, a coast guard spokesman told AFP.

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"It sank because of overloading. Theboatwas meant to carry maximum 50 people. Theboatwas also loaded with some cargo," another coast guard spokesman, Hamidul Islam,added.

Nearly one million Rohingya live in squalid camps nearBangladesh's border with Myanmar, many fleeing the neighbouring countryaftera 2017 brutal military crackdown.

With few opportunities for jobs and education in the camps, thousands have tried to reach other countries like Malaysia and Thailand by attempting the hazardous 2,000-kilometre journey.

In the latest incident, 71 people have been rescued including 46 women. Among the dead, 11 were women and the rest children.

Anwara Begum said two of her sons, aged six and seven, drowned in the tragedy.

"We were four of us in theboat...another child (son, aged 10) is very sick," the 40-year-old told said.

Fishermen tippedoffthe coast guardafterthey saw survivors swimming and crying for help in the sea.

Theboat's keel hit undersea coral in shallow wateroffSaint Martin's Island,Bangladesh's southernmost territory, before it sank, survivors said.

"We swam in the sea before boats came and rescued us," said survivor Mohammad Hossain, 20.

Coast guard commander Sohel Rana said three survivors, including a Bangladeshi, were detained over human trafficking allegations.

An estimated 25,000 Rohingya leftBangladeshand Myanmar on boats in 2015 trying to get to Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia.

Hundreds drowned when overloaded boats sank.