Navy evacuates Lankan crew member from cruise ship

On the instructions of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, the Sri Lanka Navy today took charge of the lone Sri Lankan crew member aboard cruise ship 'MSC Magnifica,' which arrived at the Colombo Port to take on fuel and other essential supplies. 

'MSC Magnifica,' has 2700 passengers and crew onboard. It had set sail on January 5 but was forced to cut short its journey while in Australia owing to the Coronavirus outbreak. All ports have refused entry to the vessel owing to the current situation and as such, the ship is currently making its way to Italy, where the cruise ship's parent company is located. 

Anura Bandara Herath, the lone Sri Lankan crew member onboard the vessel, made an appeal via social media to the Government to allow him to disembark while the vessel is in Colombo. Accordingly, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa instructed Navy Commander Vice-Admiral Piyal De Silva to take charge of the crew member and bring him ashore. 

A group of personnel from the Navy's Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Emergency Response Unit was dispatched to the vessel located about 9 kilometres off the Colombo Port this morning and they managed to retrieve Mr Herath safely and bring him ashore. 

Meanwhile, Navy personnel from the unit also successfully evacuated a 75-year-old female German passenger who had been suffering from a heart ailment. 

The Sri Lankan crew member was taken to the Boossa Naval Quarantine Centre while the German passenger was admitted to the Colombo National Hospital for treatment. 

By Chris Kamalendran

Pix Courtesy Sri Lanka Navy