2ND LEAD

Missing Japanese, local project staff located

[TamilNet, Thursday, 18 October 2007, 02:50 GMT]
Sri Lanka security forces located the two Japanese engineers and the 4 Sri Lankan project engineering staffers who were reported missing since Wednesday morning in the jungles of Morawewa area, 24 km northwest of Trincomalee town. The Japanese were working with Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), an aid implementing agency, at the time of disappearance.

The Japanese engineers missing were identified as Mr.Morovo and Mr.Nakavo.

The Sri Lankan group comprised of Project Director Mr.S.Ragunathan, two officials T.Hariharan and Mr.K.Subramanian, and a guide Mr.W.Sumathipala.

Deputy Inspector General of Police Mr.Jayantha Wickremaratne confirmed this report in Colombo Thursday, according to media reports.

The team left in a vehicle to the abandoned Nelu Oya tank to conduct a feasibility study to rehabilitate the reservoir.

They left the vehicle on the bund and had walked about 8 km into the area where the tank lies. Until Wednesday night the team has failed to return to their vehicle parked on the tank bund.

The Morawewa Divisional Secretary informed the disappearance to the police who notified the information to Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) at Morawewa and the Sri Lanka Army (SLA).

The whereabouts of the missing officials are not known as of Thursday morning, according to police sources.

The SLAF and SLA have launched a search operation in the area, police sources said.