Navy search operations continue for 7 fishermen lost at sea

The Sri Lanka Navy is conducting search and rescue operations to locate seven fishermen who failed to return after setting sail from Kudawella and Chalai. According to The Island Sri Lanka, four fishermen have been missing since departing from the Kudawella fisheries harbour on 21 October, while three others have not been heard from since leaving the Chalai area on 26 October. Naval ships and craft from the Southern, Northern, and Eastern Naval Commands have been deployed for the search.

In a separate incident reported by The Hindu, Sri Lankan Navy personnel arrested seven fishermen from Rameswaram and Thangachimadam in the Ramanathapuram district in the early hours of Sunday, 1 November 2026. Tamil Nadu Fisheries Department officials stated the men were apprehended around 1 a.m. while fishing between the Katchatheevu islet and Mannar North on charges of poaching in international waters.

The fishermen, identified as Placius, Alagu Pandi, Antony Pitchai, Rabin, Nelson, Arulananda Xavier, and Sahaya Anand, were taken to a naval port in Sri Lanka along with their trawler.

Brief written by urgent.news from The Island Sri Lanka, The Hindu — 2 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.