China is continuing its search for the sailors missing after a Chinese fishing trawler off Sri Lanka, said Foreign Ministry spokesman Kong Quan on Tuesday.
The trawler sank after it was suddenly attacked by an unidentified armed ship while operating off the coast of Sri Lanka on the early morning of Mar. 20. Eight of the crew were rescued and seven bodies have been recovered, but eight sailors are still missing.
Chinese embassy staff in Sri Lanka took immediate measures to organize search and rescue efforts and contact the Foreign Ministry of Sri Lanka and its navy for assistance, Kong said, adding that the Chinese Foreign Ministry had also asked neighboring nations of Sri Lanka for help.
China requested the Sri Lanka government to investigate and publicize the cause of the incident, and to deal with the aftermath properly, Kong said.
(Xinhua News Agency March 25, 2003)
|