Navy orders probe after fisherman dies in collision

The Navy has launched a probe after a Fast Attack Craft Dvora collided with a fishing vessel killing one person at a location in the high seas off Karainagar on Saturday (1) night, a senior official said yesterday.

Navy Spokesman Commander Lankanatha Dissanayake told Ceylon Today that the collision occurred when the Naval vessel was escorting a fleet of Indian fishing boats that had been released from the Karainagar Naval Base.

“The Dvora was cruising at a speed of 6 knots when the collision occurred at around 8.30 p.m.,” Dissanayake said.

He added that during the incident one fisherman had escaped after he jumped into the sea while the other person was trapped inside the fishing boat.

The victim sustained serious injuries and was pronounced dead on admission to the Jaffna Teaching Hospital, Dissanayake said. The victim was identified as 38-year-old Kanapathipillai Ketheeswaran from Vediyarasan Street in Karainagar.

The other fisherman was later rescued by the Navy and he is presently being treated at the Jaffna Hospital he said.

The Kayts Police has also launched a separate investigation into the incident.