Nearly 600 migrants believed to be Rohingya refugees from Myanmar and Bangladeshis have been rescued from boats drifting off the coast of Indonesia’s Aceh province.
The wooden boats were towed to shore by fishermen after running out of fuel. Authorities believe they had been stranded at sea for about a week.
Around 50 people were taken to hospital suffering from starvation and dehydration.
Myanmar refuses to recognise Rohingya Muslims. Since 2012 more than 100,000 stateless Rohingya have fled violence and poverty by being smuggled on traffickers’ boats to Thailand.
