Australian High Commission
Colombo
MEDIA RELEASE
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02 November 2009
Tragedy of sunken vessel highlights danger of irregular maritime migration
Search and rescue efforts in relation to a vessel reported to have sunk to the north-west of the Cocos Islands are continuing.
Initial reports indicate that 39 people were believed to be on board the vessel. At this time, only some passengers have been rescued.
The rescue effort is ongoing. Two foreign flagged commercial vessels are offering assistance. Australian authorities are coordinating search and rescue efforts, but the closest Australian vessel was over 24 hours away at the time of the sinking and has not yet reached the scene.
The Australian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, Ms Kathy Klugman, has expressed grave concerns over the fate of those still missing. She said “this tragic event shows the dangers of maritime people smuggling. The people smugglers are prepared to put people at awful risk in order to profit from their suffering. Australian authorities are doing their very best to help with the rescue effort but grave concerns are held for those who are still unaccounted for."
Australian High Commission
Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka