The ship went down about 40 nautical miles south of Galle; 32 crew members have been rescued, while over 100 are feared missing.
While a Sri Lankan naval source to Reuters indicated a possible submarine strike, the country’s defence and foreign ministries said the cause of the sinking remains unclear.
Sri Lankan navy and air force teams have launched a search and rescue mission, with survivors hospitalised in southern Sri Lanka.
Iranian Ship Sinks Off Sri Lanka Coast; 32 Rescued, Over 100 Feared Missing
An Iranian ship Iris Dena sank in international waters off the coast of Sri Lanka on Wednesday, with 32 crew members rescued and more than 100 feared missing.
Summary
An Iranian ship sank off the southern coast of Sri Lanka, leaving more than 100 crew members feared missing and dozens injured, on Wednesday, Reuters reported. 32 crew members reportedly have been rescued, according to the Sri Lankan Navy.
The vessel sank in international waters, about 40 nautical miles south of Galle, is a suspected submarine attack, according to Reuters on the basis of its sources in Sri Lankan Navy. The ship made a distress call shortly before going down. The source of the attack and the precise circumstances leading to the sinking remain unclear as of now.
Sri Lankan authorities launched a search and rescue operation soon after the incident, deploying naval and air force teams to the area. Survivors were brought ashore and admitted to hospitals in southern Sri Lanka for treatment.
However, according to a Sri Lankan naval source’s information to Reuters suggesting a Submarine attack, the defence & foreign ministry of Sri Lanka rejected the claim, stating ‘reason behind sinking ship remains unclear.’
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