Eight drown in ferry tragedy

Rafik JALALDEEN

BATTICALOA: Eight persons were drowned when the boats they were in capsized in the seas off Valachchenai last morning.

The victims were part of a group of civilians being ferried from Vakarai to the cleared areas.

There were seven boats ferrying 56 civilians when the mishap occurred.

According to a spokesman for the Media Centre for National Security, four bodies of civilians are lying at the Valachchenai hospital.

Civilians arriving into cleared areas using the land route are using a sea passage due to threats by the LTTE on those using the land route.

Nine others who were rescued were admitted to the Valachchenai hospital.

A search was carried out last evening to look for other survivors.