S’pore Authorities Rescue 300 Suspected Migrants From Sinking Boat Headed To Vietnam

Singapore Authorities Rescue 300 Migrants From Sinking Boat On 7 Nov

On Monday (7 Nov), Singapore authorities rescued about 300 people from a sinking boat.

This came after the Sri Lanka Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre in Colombo sought help for distressed passengers on board the boat.

The passengers are believed to be migrants heading toward Vietnam.

At least one of them is a Sri Lankan national, reported The Straits Times (ST).

300 suspected migrants on board sinking boat

Sri Lanka’s navy said that Singapore authorities rescued about 300 passengers from a sinking boat on Monday (7 Nov).

According to the Associated Press (AP), a Sri Lankan citizen on the vessel had made a distress call to the navy.

Navy spokesperson Indika de Silva shared that the Maritime Rescue Coordination Center then sought help from Singapore, Vietnam, and the Philippines.

Thereafter, Singapore authorities informed Sri Lanka of the successful rescue of the people aboard the boat.

The passengers are suspected to be migrants heading to Vietnam.

ST reported that as of now, it is unclear where exactly the incident took place.

At least one Sri Lankan national rescued

The Sri Lanka navy is apparently aware of one Sri Lankan on board the boat.

As for the other passengers, the relevant authorities will ascertain their identities after they land in Vietnam.

In the past, Sri Lankans sometimes undertook dangerous and illegal boat journeys to escape the Sri Lankan Civil War, noted Reuters in a 2009 report.

AP reported that some are now trying to do the same to migrate illegally as the country faces an economic crisis.

Back in May 2022, Sri Lanka declared bankruptcy after struggling since 2020, according to CNBC.

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Featured image adapted from Victor Harbor Times.