Sri Lankan economic crisis: 8 members reach Indian coast, rescued

Chennai, Aug 22 (IANS) Amid looming economic crisis and political instability in the island nation, eight more people from Sri Lanka reached the Indian shores at Arichalmunai, Rameswaram, sources said on Monday.The eight members of two families from Sri Lanka claimed that they had paid their life's savings of Rs 1 lakh to get dropped on the Indian coast.The Indian Coast Guard rescued the refugees who were stranded at Arichalmunai after reaching the Indian shores on Sunday and brought them to the shores on a hovercraft.Chandrakumar(36), his wife Delsi (32), their children, Venuson (7), and their two-month-old daughter Praveenason were rescued by the Coast Guard. Along with them Kirubakaran(30), his wife Nishanthi (27), and their children, Deepika (9) and Rakshika (4) were also escorted to safety into the Mandapam refugee camp after questioning at the Marine police station.During interrigation, Chandrakumar told Coastal police that they had paid Rs 1 lakh to the boatmen who had dropped at Arichalmuni in the cover of darkness and escaped. While Chandrakumar claimed that they were dropped at late Thursday night, the marine police and Coast Guard officials did not confirm the same.The arrival of eight new refugees has taken the total number of refugees who had landed on Indian soil from Sri Lanka has swelled to 134. It may be noted that an elderly lady who tried to enter India wading through neck deep water later passed away at a hospital in Rameswaram.Police said that the refugees have told them of the sad plight in Sri Lanka with people running around for anything available. The refugees told Police that they had spent Rs 1 lakh to reach the Indian shores.
--IANS aal/shb/

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