Navy rescues four Indian fishermen

Ranil WIJAYAPALA

COLOMBO: Navy personnel operating in the sea off Delft Island rescued four Indian fishermen after they found them drifting in the sea clinging on to the ice boxes as their fishing trawler capsized in rough seas, Navy Spokesman Commander D. K. P. Dassanayaka said yesterday.

The four Indian fishermen who strayed into Sri Lankan waters met with this accident around 1 am yesterday as they were fishing in the sea four kilometres south of the Delft Islands in Jaffna.

“They had been struggling in the rough seas for more than four hours when Navy Dvora patrolling the seas off Delft islands reached them around 5 am yesterday,” Commander Dasanayake added.

The four fishermen A. Nalliah (40), Illeperuman (47), E. Manoharan residents from Rameshwaran and K. Ratnam (50) from Ramanan were taken to the Karainagar Navy Camp and were given medical treatment, food and essential things.

“We have already informed the Indian High Commission in Sri Lanka about the four Indian fishermen and they have informed us they will be taken to India very soon,” the Navy spokesman added.

Sri Lanka on August 14 also rescued some Indian fishermen drifting in the seas off Madagal and provided them with fuel and food to go back to India.

Indian fishermen frequently stray into Sri Lankan waters fishing and the Sri Lankan Navy has to carefully handle the situation as LTTE takes this opportunity to smuggle arms and ammunition mingling with Indian fishermen.

“There have been many instances in the recent past where the Navy extended its support to Indian fishermen stranded in Sri Lankan waters,” the Navy Spokesman added.

However, the LTTE made many attempts to antagonise the Indian fishermen.