Sri Lanka coordinated medical care and repatriation for 40 Iranian sailors from merchant vessels off its southern coast after the crew faced unspecified medical emergencies, Foreign Ministry spokesman Thushara Rodrigo said.
Rodrigo said the ministry received an Embassy request through diplomatic channels, Reuters reported. The Associated Press said the Iranian Embassy and local shipping agents coordinated transport by boat, bringing the sailors to Galle on Saturday, Oct. 24. Sri Lankan authorities completed immigration procedures and provided initial treatment, AP reported.
Newswire reported that the Foreign Ministry estimated the vessels were about 24 nautical miles off Galle. Rodrigo told AP he could not identify the ships involved. Daily Mirror reported that Rodrigo told AFP the Iranian Embassy paid the transfer costs; AP reported that the Embassy helped arrange transport but did not identify who paid.
Accounts differ on when the sailors left Sri Lanka. Reuters and AP reported that they departed Sunday, Oct. 25, while Herath told Daily Mirror the repatriation took place Saturday, Oct. 24. EconoTimes previously covered the sailors’ transfer ashore for medical care.
Earlier in October, Sri Lanka said it had no immediate plan to assist a separate group of 19 Iranian ships offshore, AP reported. The same report described shortages of food, water and fuel aboard those ships. Rodrigo said companies supplying them knew of possible U.S. secondary-sanctions risks, AP reported.
