At least 17 dead as boat carrying Rohingyas sinks in Bay of Bengal

FILE PHOTO: An aerial view of Hla Phoe Khaung transit camp for Rohingya who decide to return back from Bangladesh, is seen in Maungdaw, Rakhine state, Myanmar, September 20, 2018. Ye Aung Thu/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo

(Reuters) - At least 17 Rohingyas were killed and 30 remain missing after a boat capsized in bad weather in the Bay of Bengal earlier this week, aid workers in Myanmar said.

Volunteers said eight people were rescued from the boat, which was headed for Malaysia, a coveted destination for thousands of Rohingya Muslims fleeing persecution and poverty in Myanmar and Bangladesh.