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Missing Lankan seafarers’ next-of-kin receive limited compensation
View(s):More than a year after they went missing and now feared dead, families of four Sri Lankan seafarers received limited compensation from the authorities earlier this week.
CSC Chairman, Rear Admiral (Retd.) Jayanath Colomobage, hands over the cheque to Ms Vilasini, wife of 1st Engineer Nalinda Wakwella, at the CSC office in Colombo. Also in the picture are ITF Inspector Ranjan Perera, MPHRP South Asia Regional Director, Chirath Bari and MPHRP Programme Director Hennie Lagrange
On the initiative of the International Transport workers Federation (ITF) and the Maritime Piracy Humanitarian Response Program (MPHRP), the families received Rs 50,000 each from Ceylon Shipping Corporation (CSC) Chairman, former Navy Commander, Rear Admiral Jayanath Colombage.
The four seafarers, 1st Engineer Nalinda Wakwella, 2nd Engineers D.L. Sarath Silva and Anton Boniface, and 3rd Engineer G.C. Perera were listed missing and feared dead, after their vessel, the MV Albedo, sank while in captivity of Somali pirates in July 2013.
The Malaysian-flagged MV Albedo was captured by the pirates on November 26, 2013, and kept hostage until it sank in poor weather.
Two other Sri Lankan seafarers who were among the group, were subsequently rescued in a covert operation across the Kenyan border, by the United Nations (UN), and returned to the country in June this year.
Unconfirmed reports said that the UN had paid an undisclosed ransom to the captors, to secure the release of the two Sri Lankan seafarers.
Meanwhile, the MPHRP has offered limited financial assistance to the families of the missing seafarers. (LB)