In brief
Sri Lanka’s Navy, with Air Force support, has started search missions for two missing fishing boats—one four‑man vessel that departed Matara on October 21 and vanished after October 23, and another three‑man vessel from Mullaitivu whose departure date is unknown. The operations are hampered by adverse weather linked to a Bay of Bengal cyclone, prompting the Meteorological Department to advise fishermen to suspend activities.
Sri Lanka’s Navy and Air Force have launched search operations for seven fishermen who went missing in two separate incidents off the country’s southern and northeastern coasts, the Navy said Wednesday. One four‑man vessel left Kudawella in the Matara district on October 21 and was last in contact with its owner on October 23 before going missing. A separate search is underway for a three‑man vessel that departed from Puthumathalan in the Mullaitivu district; its departure date is not yet known.
The operations are being carried out by the Navy with assistance from the Air Force, with efforts focused on locating both vessels and their crews. The search is being conducted amid strong winds, rough seas, and heavy thundershowers linked to the prevailing cyclonic conditions in the Bay of Bengal.
According to the Department of Meteorology, fishermen and naval vessels have been advised to suspend activities in the affected sea areas until further notice and urged those already at sea to move toward safer waters. The overall goal is to rescue any survivors and recover the missing boats in the adverse weather conditions.
