3 washed ashore bodies in the islets of Jaffna identified

[TamilNet, Thursday, 23 July 2009, 15:33 GMT]
Three of the six bodies washed ashore since Sunday in the islets of Jaffna have been identified as belonging to fishermen from Raameasvaram in Tamil Nadu, according to the identity cards found on the recovered bodies. Meanwhile, fishermen returning from the sea in the islets Thursday said that another body was sighted in the sea and that it would reach the shore Thursday night or Friday morning.

The three bodies were identified as belonging to Rajendran Rathakrishnan, 28, Sellaiah Sethumathavan, 17 and Saravanan Gnanapragasam, 28, all residents of Raameasvaram.

Oorkaavattu’rai courts had made arrangements with the Indian High Commission in Colombo for relatives of the missing Raameasvaram fishermen to identify the bodies which lie in Jaffna Teaching Hospital mortuary.

So far altogether six male bodies had been found washed ashore in Pungudutheevu, Ezhuvaitheevu and Ma’nkumpaan in Veala’nai.

Oorkaavatu’rai police who recovered all the bodies and handed them over to the hospital are continuing investigations.