The Hindu : National : Sri Lankan refugees sent to Chennai

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Monday, May 18, 2009
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Sri Lankan refugees sent to Chennai

Staff Reporter

Kakinada: The Sri Lankan refugees rescued by fishermen of Uppada in Kakinada district three weeks ago were sent to Chennai on Sunday.

The Commissioner of Rehabilitation, Tamil Nadu, will take follow-up action, according to official sources. They are likely to be accommodated in the refugee camp at Rameswaram.

Eleven persons, including a year-old boy of Sri Lankan origin, who fled their native place in Mullaitivu last month, reached Kakinada after the boat in which they were sailing developed a snag.

They were starving and had to drink sea water to keep themselves alive.

Ten others travelling in the same boat died, according to the survivors, who were treated at the Government General Hospital (GGH), Kakinada.

All the 21 persons were fishermen and left their hometowns fearing for their lives as the war between the Sri Lankan Army and the LTTE turned ferocious.

Corrections and Clarifications

The first paragraph of a report "Sri Lankan refugees sent to Chennai" (May 18, 2009) had a reference to Kakinada district. There is no such district. Kakinada, a port town, is the headquarters of East Godavari district in Andhra Pradesh.

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