Myanmar navy to verify 727 stranded migrants in 'safe' place


A Myanmar military officer (R) gestures from a navy ship towards a boat packed with migrants, off Leik Island in the Andaman Sea May 31, 2015. REUTERS/Soe Zeya Tun

YANGON (Reuters) - Myanmar's navy is escorting a boat crammed with 727 stranded migrants to a "safe" location where officials will verify their identities before taking any further action, the country's information minister said on Tuesday.

Correcting an earlier comment that the navy was taking the converted fishing boat to the waters of neighbouring Bangladesh, Ye Htut said the migrants were headed to an undisclosed but safe area and had been provided with food and water.

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