5 bodies washed ashore in Jaffna islets indentified

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 23 September 2008, 12:02 GMT]
The bodies of five persons washed ashore recently along with three other corpses in Analaitheevu, Nedunththeevu and Pungkudutheevu islets of Jaffna, were identified by a relatvie Monday in the presence of Oorkaavattu'rai (Kayts) Magistrate Ms. Joy Mahadeva at the Jaffna Teaching Hospital, hospital sources said. The five persons belonging to the same family died when their boat capsized mid-sea while returning to Mannaar to escape unbearable living conditions in the Tamil Nadu refugee camp, sources in Jaffna said.

Selvarajah, a resident in Jaffna, identified the husband, Murukaia 52, wife, Murkaiah Inthirany, 42, their daughter-in-law Vadivelu Thivya, 23, and two grand children, Chandrakumar Chenthooran, 6, and Chandrakumar Kopika, 5.

They were identified with the help of information from two men who had managed to swim ashore to Mannaar when the boat capsized.

Mannaar police had arrested them when they reached Mannaar.

The other relatives of the family who are in Tamil Nadu refugee camp had also provided the description of dress that the five deceased had been wearing when they left Tamil Nadu.

The family is from Amman Koayiladi, Makaarampaikku'lam in Vavuniya.

They had fled from Mannaar by boat nine months ago to Tamil Nadu and had opted to return to Mannaar by boat.

Lack of basic facilities for living and the restrictions in the Tamil Nadu refugee camp had made them to return to Sri Lanka, the sources said.

Ms. Joy Mahadeva directed Oorkaavattu'rai police to hand over the five bodies to the relatives for the final rites to performed.

Meanwhile, the father of the youth shot and killed recently near Jaffna Secretariat indentified his son's body Monday at Jaffna Teaching Hospital mortuary in the presence of Jaffna Magistrate Mr. Vasanthasenan.

The youth shot and killed was identified as Tharmalingam Kumarathasa, 25, a resident of Allaarai, Meesaalai Thenmaraadchi.

The magistrate directed Jaffna police to handover the body to the youth's father.

Of the three corpses of the eight washed ashore in islets of Jaffna one corpse of a woman was identified as a resident of Chu'n'naakam and handed over to her relatives.

One corpse was identified as that of an Indian citizen and cremated according to Hindu rites in Jaffna by his nephew.

The corpse of one woman remains identified in Jaffna Teaching Hospital mortuary.