The 32 Myanmar nationals rescued by the Sri Lankan Navy from a vessel stranded in the deep seas 250 nautical miles east of Sangamankanda Point have been brought to the Galle Harbour.
The group, consisting of 31 adult males and a boy, had been suffering from dehydration when SLN Offshore Patrol Vessel Sagara, responding to a distress call, plucked them from the damaged wooden vessel which had begun to sink on Saturday.
Four critically ill persons were provided with emergency medical treatment and are out of danger, navy said.
Officials had faced difficulties due to being unable to communicate with the Myanmar nationals, however a Buddhist monk had arrived on the scene and managed to question several of the passengers, Ada Derana reporter said.
He stated that the passengers were en route to Malaysia via Thailand when the boat had developed a technical snag in mid sea. They had been drifting for several days without food and water and over 90 persons who had perished during the voyage were thrown overboard, he said.
It is the second time in less than two weeks the navy has assisted a crippled foreign boat.
On February 3, the navy rescued 138 Bangladeshi and Myanmar nationals from a sinking boat. One of the passengers in that boat had died before help reached.
