The Sri Lankan Navy on Wednesday said 32 injured crew members were rescued and hospitalised after a submarine attack on an Iranian vessel, retracting the earlier statement given to news agency Reuters that at least 101 were missing, and 78 were injured after the attack that sank the Iranian ship.A Sri Lankan Navy spokesperson said that search and rescue operations are ongoing. “The numbers are still being verified, and operations are ongoing,” the Navy said, adding that divers and patrol vessels remain deployed in the area to locate survivors and debris from the sunken ship.The source of the underwater attack, which caused the Iranian ship to sink on early mornings of Wednesday near Galle, has not yet been identified. The maritime security agencies from Sri Lanka and neighbouring countries are monitoring the situation amid concerns about the attack’s origin.Sri Lanka’s foreign minister Vijitha Herath told parliament that a distress call was received around 6am local time, prompting the immediate launch of navy search and rescue operations. He confirmed that over 30 people had been rescued and had been taken to the hospital for treatment.However, he did not provide further details, stating that further details shall be shared as the probe progresses.Separately, a navy official who requested anonymity said that 79 people were initially rescued and taken to the hospital, one of whom later died. “About 101 people are still believed to be missing,” the source added.Local media reported that the injured were admitted to a hospital in Galle, where emergency teams are treating survivors for burns and trauma sustained during the explosion. Authorities have yet to determine whether the attack was the result of military engagement, piracy, or an accident at sea.
