Boat sinks off Delft coast , 14 tourists narrowly escape death

12 July 2025 07:38 pm Views - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}} 6 Bookmark

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By Thevatharsan Sukinthan

Colombo, July 12 (Daily Mirror)- A boat carrying tourists from Delft Island, Jaffna, sank in the deep sea, making all 14 people on board narrowly escape with their lives.

The small privately-owned boat belonging to a local resident of Delft carrying 12 tourists and 2 crew members, began their journey this evening towards Kurikattuwan.

While travelling between Delft and Kurikattuwan, the boat suddenly developed mechanical problems and seawater began to enter the vessel.

In response, the two crew members waved a white flag to signal distress. This was noticed by those on another boat, who then rushed to assist them.

As the boat began sinking, those on board were transferred to the rescue boat. While 12 passengers were immediately rescued, the boat sank before the remaining two could board the rescue boat. These two individuals swam and were eventually pulled into the rescue boat.

Meanwhile, the Sri Lankan Navy, upon learning about the incident, swiftly arrived at the scene and transferred the rescued individuals to their vessel, bringing them safely to the Kurikattuwan shore.

Given that the sea journey between Kurikattuwan and Delft takes around one hour, there is now a strong call for stricter monitoring of passenger boats and ensuring that all passengers wear safety gear, along with other safety measures that should be enforced by the relevant authorities.

Comments - 6

Danny Saturday, 12 July 2025 09:10 PM

Can’t stop remembering 36 passengers lost their lives by a brutal massacre in the last century. Will there be any investigation?? May be no!

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Lkf Saturday, 12 July 2025 09:37 PM

The sailing trip between Kayts and Nagadeepa is even worse and remains under the watchful eyes of the Navy. These converted fishing trawlers suited for four passengers, carry 15 times more. Extremely dangerous. Local and foreign tourists are part of the cargo.The journey is about 40 mnts. in rough seas. Amenities as a Pier and better control iof boats is necessary.

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P Kunchithapathan Sunday, 13 July 2025 06:19 AM

Thank God, all twelve tourists and passengers were safely rescued by the emergency response team. This incident must serve as a serious wake-up call for the authorities. The government must urgently implement stringent safety regulations to protect the lives of passengers traveling by sea. For decades, successive administrations have neglected the development of a reliable and decent transport network. It is high time the government permitted the import and operation of modern, luxury ferry services to connect the islands scattered across the northern waters. This region holds immense potential as a major tourist destination, and the Ministry of Tourism should actively explore and invest in its development.

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Jude Sunday, 13 July 2025 07:09 AM

Any SOS signal should be picked up by nearby vessels especially Navy. All boats should have Radio communication!!

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mandayan Tuesday, 15 July 2025 02:33 PM

What about mobile phones? Are they still in the past?

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Kumar Sunday, 13 July 2025 04:28 PM

These boats are absolute death traps. I have gone in one. They float low in the water and the passengers sit on benches that are below the water line. Getting in and out is a difficult task specially if you’re not young and agile. Absolutely no life belts but even if there are life belts, the boat will sink quicker than the time you would have to get off the boat! The government should look closely at this and take action

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