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4 Lankan seafarers’ fate unknown as their hijacked vessel sinks
View(s):The fate of four Sri Lankan seafarers held by Somali Pirates for more than two-and-a-half years were unknown yesterday, after their vessel took in water and sank while on anchorage earlier this month, a maritime trade union said.The four seafarers were a part of a larger group that included two more Sri Lankans, as well as Indian and Bangladeshi nationals on the MV Albedo that was hijacked by the pirates on November 26, 2010, Ranjan Perera of the National Union of Seafarers Sri Lanka (NUSS) told the Sunday Times.
He said that a United Nations (UN) group based in neighbouring Nairobi was in phone contact with the pirates in Somalia, and apart from the four Sri Lankans listed missing, the remaining crew is safe.While the rest of the crew had returned to India and Bangladesh, the surviving two Sri Lankan seafarers are still reported held by the Somali pirates”, Mr. Perera, who is also the local Inspector for the International Transport workers Federation (ITF), told the Sunday Times. He said the fate of the missing Sri Lankan crew could not be confirmed, but did not rule out the possibility of them going down with the vessel.
“The surviving two Lankans have since have been in contact with their respective families by telephone, but they too have not been able to confirm the whereabouts of their missing colleagues. Satellite pictures show the sunken MV Albedo and two lifeboats close to shore, indicating the men may have made it ashore. However, for the moment, it is only conjecture”, Mr Perera said.
The missing seafarers were identified as 1st Engineer Nalinda Wakwella, 2nd Engineer D.L. Sarath Silva, 3rd Engineer G.C. Perera and Anton Boniface. The two known survivors were identified as Welder Niroshan Perera and 2nd Engineer S.M.M. Bisthamy.Meanwhile, the authorities said that they were helpless in this situation, as there is no official contact between the two countries.
“There is very little that we can do except sympathise with the relatives of the victims”, Director General of Merchant Shipping Ajith Senivaratne said.
Hoping against hope
Vilasanee Wakwella, wife of 1st Engineer Nalinda told the Sunday Times that her household has not given up hope of her husband’s safe return, but at the same time, she was also expecting to hear the worst. “The only encouragement at the moment is the daily e-mail messages we receive from a UN office in neighbouring Nairobi, who are monitoring the situation.
However, as of now, despite the absence of any positive news, the UN Office has assured us that the search will continue until there is evidence on the whereabouts of the missing seafarers”, she added.
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