Bangladeshi authorities said this week they had recovered the bodies of 11 Rohingya who drowned in the Bay of Bengal after their boat capsized in bad weather as they tried to escape from an island housing refugees over the weekend, according to Benar News.

Search parties were reportedly looking for a further 15 Rohingya said to be still missing from the boat after it sank off Bhashan Char Island on Saturday, according to the authorities.

Local fishermen managed to rescue 12 and bring them back to the island.

The bodies of the 11 Rohingya were turned over to their families and buried on Bhashan Char.

Bhashan Char residents are prohibited from leaving the island.

However, about 300 have fled in the last few months, according to local Rohingya leaders. The local police claim the number is lower.