Colombo, Mar 11: A Sri Lankan court on Wednesday ordered that the bodies of 84 Iranian sailors, killed in a US attack on an Iranian vessel off the island nation’s coast, be handed over to Iran’s embassy.
Galle Chief Magistrate Sameera Dodangoda directed the director of Galle National Hospital to hand over the bodies to the Iranian embassy following a request from the Galle Harbour Police.
The bodies are currently being kept in two freezer containers at Galle National Hospital. Sri Lankan authorities had recovered the bodies last week after a US submarine attack sank the Iranian frigate IRIS Dena off the southern coast near Galle.
The vessel had been returning to Iran from Visakhapatnam, India, where it had participated in a naval fleet review exercise.
Along with the bodies, 32 survivors were brought to the hospital in Karapitiya last Thursday. They were discharged on Sunday and shifted to the Sri Lanka Air Force base at Koggala in Galle. Officials said they will later be moved to the naval facility at Welisara, outside Colombo.
Meanwhile, 204 sailors from another Iranian vessel, Iris Bushehr, have been staying at the Welisara facility since last Friday.
Naval officials said the Iris Bushehr remains anchored outside the Colombo port after developing engine trouble and was expected to be moved to the eastern port city of Trincomalee. (PTI)
