Authorities in Sri Lanka on Friday handed over the bodies of 45 sailors, who were killed in an attack on an Iranian warship off the island nation’s coast, to Iran’s embassy.
Chief Magistrate Sameera Dodangoda issued the order on March 11 directing the Director of the National Hospital in Karapitiya to release the bodies, following a request made by the Galle Harbour Police.
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Last Wednesday, Sri Lanka announced that it had recovered 84 bodies of Iranian sailors after a US submarine attack sank the Iranian frigate IRIS Dena near Galle on the country’s southern coast.
The vessel had been returning to Iran from Visakhapatnam, India, where it had taken part in a naval fleet review exercise. According to Defence Ministry Secretary Sampath Thuiyakontha, the 45 bodies were scheduled to be repatriated to Iran on Friday from the southern international airport at Mattala.
The remains had been transported to the hospital along with 32 survivors, following the US torpedo attack that occurred last Thursday.
Earlier, the Sri Lankan government had stated that the bodies would be kept in the country until conditions improved to allow for their repatriation.
Due to limited capacity at the hospital’s morgue, the bodies were stored under temporary refrigeration arrangements.
The 32 survivors were discharged from the hospital on Sunday and later transferred to the nearby Sri Lankan airbase at Koggala in Galle.
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