Sri Lanka Navy, Air Force launch search for missing fishermen amid rough seas
Sri Lanka's Navy and Air Force have launched a joint search-and-rescue operation for fishermen reported missing or stranded after venturing into the sea before a fishing ban was imposed due to rough weather, officials said on Saturday.
The operation began after several fishermen who had gone to sea before authorities announced the ban were reported to be in distress, Director General of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Susantha Kahawatta said.
A fishing boat carrying two fishermen that left the northwestern town of Chilaw has gone missing, officials said.
In a separate incident, the body of a fisherman from the coastal town of Negombo washed ashore after his boat reportedly struck a rock in rough seas.
The Sri Lanka Air Force deployed a surveillance aircraft to assist Navy teams searching for the missing fishermen.
Authorities also warned fishermen to stay clear of 17 empty shipping containers floating about 17 nautical miles off Colombo port after they reportedly fell from a cargo vessel travelling from Male to Colombo, saying the containers posed a hazard to fishing boats.
The Department of Meteorology warned that sea conditions off the northwestern, eastern and southern coasts would remain very rough, with waves expected to reach two to three metres.
