Cox’s Bazar: A trawler, heading towards Malaysia through an illegal sea route with around 50 passengers on board, capsized in the Bay of Bengal at Khudiratek in Kutubdia early on Thursday.

Kutubdia Coast Guard in-charge Tareque Mostafa said 31 of the passengers were rescued from Kutubdia while 10 others from Masheshkhali.

Quoting the rescued passengers, Tareque said there might have been around 50 passengers in the Malaysia-bound trawler.

A total of 31 passengers of the sunken vessel were pulled out by local people as they were washed ashore by tidal waves.

On information, Coast Guard and police teams rushed to the spot.

Kutubdia upazila chairman Nurul Bashar Chowdhury confirmed the incident, saying the trawler was perhaps carrying people to Malaysia illegally aided by human traffickers.