Sri Lanka Navy’s Offshore Patrol Vessel, Sagara has been dispatched to rescue around 65 persons stranded in the south western deep seas.
The multi-day trawler, which had carried the people, is named “Dinuja Putha” and it had developed mechanical problems while in the sea between Sri Lanka and the Maldives.
The incident had been reported to the Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (DFAR) by a local fishing boat, having spotted the drifting vessel overladen with passengers 215 nautical miles south west of Sri Lanka. The Navy, alerted by the DFAR, has taken immediate action to initiate a rescue mission to save the lives of the people onboard.
[mappress] Press Release, October 04, 2013; Image: Sri Lanka Navy