In the hands of Somali pirates for four and a half months, the six Sri Lankan sailors from the ship 'Lorenzo Putha 4' who had been kidnapped at the end of January and then freed by the Seychelles Coast Guard have finally arrived in the port of Dikowita. The joy of re-embracing their families but also concerns about the financial loss they suffered as a result of the unfortunate mishap.
Colombo (Asia News) - The six fishermen from the ship "Lorenzo Putha 4" who were kidnapped on 27 January by Somali pirates in international waters have arrived in Sri Lanka from the port of Dikowita. Freed by the Seychelles Coast Guard two days later, they were then stranded for months while delicate diplomatic negotiations unfolded.
"On the day we were kidnapped by Somali pirates, God saved me and the five other sailors working with me. We thank the Seychelles Navy, those working at the port of Victoria and the Sri Lankan Fisheries Ministry officials who helped us return," Rakhitha Dushan, the ship's captain, told AsiaNews.
'We suffered a lot during these four and a half months,' she continued. 'We had no money to send to our family because we had no jobs. We worked hard to scrape together even small amounts, like 100 or 200 rupees. Today I will see my baby, who was born in the meantime, for the first time. We are happy that the ship was rescued and arrived in Sri Lanka safe and sound".
The ship's owner, Francis Milroy, said he had to work hard to get to this moment, lamenting a huge financial loss due to this incident. Owner of three fishing boats, Milroy said neither he nor the fishermen had received any financial help from the government in these months of hardship. "My fishing boats and fishermen met this unfortunate fate because of Somali pirates, while they were working according to the law and with the relevant permits," he recalled.
"Today is a day we have been looking forward to; we have met our husbands and brothers again," Iresha Madhuwanti, wife of one of the fishermen, told AsiaNews. "I thank God for saving the lives of these people and the people who have helped us even with a word during this difficult time.