Fleeing Rohingya refugees die after boat to Bangladesh capsizes

An overcrowded boat carrying Rohingya Muslims fleeing violence in Myanmar capsized on Monday in the Bay of Bengal near a Bangladeshi fishing village.

Twelve people were killed, including six children, police said.

Survivors told local officials that around 65 people were on board and almost half of them were children, local police official Sheikh Ashrafuzzaman said.

The tragedy occurred as the boat was approaching Shah Porir Dwip in Teknaf in Cox's Bazar district bordering Myanmar's Rakhine state.

He said villagers told police they recovered five bodies and at least 21 people survived.

Including Monday's capsizing, boat incidents have killed at least 184 Rohingya trying to reach Bangladesh.

Hundreds of thousands of Rohingya have fled Myanmar since August 25, when the military intensified a crackdown against the Rohingya Muslim population, decried by the United Nations as "ethnic cleansing".

Evidence has been found of the Myanmar military committing war crimes.

Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina says that her government will continue to support the Rohingya, but that Myanmar must take them back.