Heavy tides drowns fishing boat, 2 fishermen reported missing in Poonakari

[TamilNet, Monday, 18 July 2011, 09:12 GMT]
Two fishermen from Valaippaadu, a coastal village in the Poonakari division of Ki'linochchi were reported missing after their fishing boat drowned due to heavy tides on Saturday. The two reported missing were former LTTE members who were released from Sri Lanka Army detention recently. Poverty-stricken fishermen in ‘resettled’ Poonakari are forced to brave the seas amidst bad weather, strong winds and rough seas to sustain their livelihood.

Three fishermen were in the boat that drowned and one of them managed to swim towards the coast.

25-year-old Gnanakaran Gnanamuthu and 27-year-old Jeyathas Chandralingm were the missing fishermen, civil authorities in Ki'linochchi said.

Valiappaadu is a village in the Ponnaave'li GS area of the Poonakari division of Ki'linochchi district.