A Baloch Sukhtbar lost his life after a Sukhtbari boat capsized in Khour Bahu, located on the Dashtiari–Gwadar route.
According to Kolbarnews, citing Baluchistan sources, on Friday, May 15, 2026, a Sukhtbari boat capsized and sank in the Khour Bahu area, part of Dashtiari County, due to rough sea conditions, resulting in the death of Esmail Mirath, 20 years old, son of Ahmad and a resident of the village of Sand Hamzeh in the Central District of Dashtiari County.
According to published information, Esmail Mirath had gone to sea along with another Sukhtbar to transport fuel when their boat capsized because of severe weather conditions and turbulent waters.
During the incident, Esmail Mirath drowned and lost his life, while the other fuel carrier managed to survive.
Sukhtbari in Sistan and Baluchistan Province, under the shadow of poverty, widespread unemployment, lack of sustainable job opportunities, and structural discrimination, has become one of the few means of livelihood for many Baloch citizens.
The absence of economic infrastructure and chronic underdevelopment in these areas has forced many young people to turn to dangerous occupations such as fuel carrying (Sukhtbari) in order to meet the minimum necessities of life; an occupation that each year claims the lives of dozens of people due to shootings by military forces, high-speed chases, vehicle overturns, fires, or drowning on maritime routes.
According to a report by Baloch Activists for the year 2024, at least 375 Baloch Sukhtbars were injured or lost their lives due to shootings by military forces, road accidents, and vehicle fires. Of this number, 240 Sukhtbars were killed and 135 others were injured, representing a 55 percent increase in the number of killed and injured Sukhtbars compared to 2023.
