35 persons rescued from distress Iranian vessel off Galle

The Sri Lanka Navy has successfully rescued 35 people from an Iranian ship that was in trouble off the southern coast of Sri Lanka. According to the Ministry of Defence, plans are in place to take the rescued individuals to Karapitiya Teaching Hospital in Galle. The Sri Lanka Air Force has also sent an aircraft to the scene to help with the search efforts. During a Parliament session on April 4, Minister of Foreign Affairs Vijitha Herath stated that the ship was outside of Sri Lankan territorial waters at the time of the incident. He further explained that the Navy quickly started rescue operations after receiving a distress call about the vessel, which was reported to be sinking. The Iranian ship, believed to be part of the Iranian Navy, was located about 40 nautical miles from Galle Harbour when the rescue mission began. The Sri Lanka Navy dispatched vessels to the area to assist those on board.