The Sri Lanka Navy has launched a rescue and assistance operation for an Indian fishing trawler that ran aground on a reef off Delft Island, with about 11 fishermen aboard.
The Navy said the trawler had crossed the International Maritime Boundary Line into Sri Lankan waters to fish unlawfully when it met rough weather overnight between Wednesday evening and early Thursday. Strong winds and heavy seas drove the vessel onto a coastal reef off Delft, where it became grounded.
The trawler has sustained partial structural damage from the impact and has begun taking on water, according to the Navy. It said the situation had not reached a critical stage and the fishermen were not in immediate danger.
Naval units have been dispatched to the location to bring the crew to safety. A Navy spokesperson confirmed that a special operation was under way to free the vessel.
Context
Delft, off the Jaffna peninsula, sits close to the maritime boundary with India and is one of the most common flashpoints for cross-border fishing disputes. Indian trawlers crossing the boundary into Sri Lankan waters are a long-running source of friction between the two countries, and the Navy regularly detains vessels and crews for poaching.
The grounding comes during a spell of severe weather. The Met Department has warned of an intensifying southwest monsoon, with strong winds of 40 to 50 kmph over several provinces, and rough sea conditions have disrupted fishing along parts of the coast in recent days.
This is a developing story.
Sources: Daily Mirror, Ada Derana, Hiru News.
