Iran has informed Sri Lanka that it wishes to repatriate the bodies of its sailors who died when an Iranian naval vessel sank following a torpedo attack by a U.S. submarine in the Indian Ocean near Sri Lanka.
Deputy Health Minister Hansaka Wijemuni said nearly 90 bodies recovered from the incident have been brought to the Karapitiya National Hospital in Galle.
He said the Iranian government has officially notified Sri Lankan authorities that the remains should be returned to Iran, and arrangements for the repatriation are being made.
Until those arrangements are completed, the bodies will be kept in the hospital’s cold storage facilities.
Wijemuni said Karapitiya Hospital had received close to 90 bodies by last night, noting that the number could increase as search and recovery operations continue.
He added that Sri Lanka follows standard procedures in such cases, including conducting post-mortem examinations and consulting the respective countries on how the bodies should be handled.
The sailors were among the crew of the Iranian naval frigate IRIS Dena, which sank off the southern coast of Sri Lanka after reportedly being struck by a torpedo fired from a U.S. submarine while returning from naval exercises in India. (Newswire)