Protesters call on Government to locate missing fishermen

COLOMBO (News 1^st) - A group of fishermen staged a protest in the Werella area in Hikkaduwa obstructing the Colombo-Galle Main Road from the Totagamuwa Junction calling on authorities to aid in efforts to locate a group of missing fishermen.

Seven fishermen who had set off to sea from the Galle Habour from the 14th of June are reported to be missing.

The police intervened to stop the protest but a few minutes later the protesters moved to the Totagamuwa Junction and obstructed the flow of traffic.

The protesters state that the Sindhur 02 vessel has been missing for 20 days and they have not yet received any information from them. They stated that if the authorities do not provide a solution to this matter, they will continue to obstruct the Colombo-Galle Main Road.

The missing fishermen are from Totagamuwa, Telwatte in Hikkaduwa. According to reports, they made their last contact with the land tower on the 29^th of June. Relatives charge, though they informed the authorities on a number of occasions to locate the fishermen, their pleas had fallen on deaf ears.