Navy rescues 28 in mid - sea

Group illegally heading for Australia:

Rasika Somarathna

The Navy yesterday rescued 28 persons from a stricken vessel drifting in the deep sea, 300 nautical miles off Galle. The people on board had been heading for Australia illegally.

The boat during its journey to Australia developed mechanical problems and was drifting in the deep sea for 11 days before the Navy intervened, sources said.

Among the rescued were 23 men, four women and a child. They are residents of Jaffna, Vavuniya, Mullaitivu, Batticaloa and Wellawatte, the Navy said.

According to the Navy, the boat left Valachchenai on June 13 and had begun to drift on July 15 due to a mechanical problem. The Navy after coming to know about the incident had alerted a French tanker en route to the UAE from China. The tanker had located the boat in distress last Thursday and had taken the crew on board.

Thereafter the Naval ship Samudra took them over from the tanker on Saturday and had brought them safely to the Galle harbour yesterday, the Navy said.

According to the Navy, the incident clearly portrays the risks of illegal migration and if not for SLN’s timely intervention, 28 lives may have lost in the deep seas.