Passenger ship planned under ICRC flag

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 02 February 1999, 23:45 GMT]
The Sri Lankan government is contemplating a passenger ship service between Trincomalee and Kankesanthurai with the International Committee of Red Cross's (ICRC) flag, according to Divisional Secretariat sources in Trincomalee.

The government has approached the ICRC in this regard. ICRC is studying the situation, the sources added.

The ship, which the government is expected to ply between Trincomalee and Kankesanthurai is in Malaysia now, Colombo sources said.

Meanwhile, more than five thousand Jaffna bound passengers are stranded in Trincomalee since December 18 last year waiting for ship to go to Jaffna.

'Lanka Muditha' a cargo vessel which is now unloading new buses at Kankesanthurai port is expected to arrive Trincomalee on January 11 or 12 to take Jaffna bound passengers from Trincomalee, Divisional Secretariat sources said.

In the meantime, the ICRC has increased its voyages to and from Trincomalee and Jaffna from four to six this month.

The ICRC's chartered vessel 'Java Gulf' plies between Trincomalee and Jaffna taking patients from Jaffna to Trincomalee and then to Colombo and vice-versa, government medical supplies, material for NGO's humanitarian work, mail bags and ICRC or other NGOs’ personnel.