Galle, Sri Lanka. An Iranian warship sank off Sri Lanka’s coast, Sri Lankan authorities said on Wednesday, adding that 32 people were rescued and several bodies were recovered from the sea.
Ship identified and official statement
Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath told parliament that the ship, identified as IRIS Dena, had sunk.
Conflicting accounts on cause and missing
Sources in Sri Lanka’s navy and defence ministry said the vessel had been attacked by a submarine and that at least 101 people were missing in the incident off Sri Lanka’s Indian Ocean coast. The defence sources said it was unclear who attacked the ship.
A Sri Lankan navy spokesman said the report of 101 people being missing was not true and rejected reports on the cause of the sinking.
Rescue operation and medical treatment
The spokesman said 32 injured people had been rescued by the Sri Lankan navy and were being treated at a state-run hospital in the southern port city of Galle.
He said the navy received a distress call from an Iranian ship, informed the Sri Lankan air force, and both launched a search and rescue operation.
Next steps and observations in the area
The spokesman said Sri Lankan forces were focused on saving lives and would investigate the cause later, adding that they had not observed any other ship or aircraft in the area.
He said operations would continue until authorities were sure no more people could be rescued.
What questions do you have about the differing accounts of how the ship sank and how many people are missing?