He said the injured were taken to a hospital in the south, which was put on alert to receive them. The Iris Dena, with a crew of 180 men, issued a distress call at dawn. Two Sri Lankan Navy ships and an aircraft were deployed for the rescue mission, Herath confirmed.
Navy spokesperson Buddhika Sampath told AFP: “We responded to the distress call in accordance with our international obligations as this is within our search and rescue area in the Indian Ocean.”
Deputy Defense Minister Major General (Retd) Aruna Jayasekara said the cause of the incident was under investigation as the “exact cause” was not yet known.
He told BBC Sinhala: “The Navy is investigating. The cause has not yet been determined. At this point, we have not been able to find a definitive cause.”
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The Galle National Hospital, where the injured are being sent, has received 32 patients from the ship. The director told the station that one is in “critical condition” while the others have “minor injuries.”
He added: “There are cuts. There are burns. There are a few people with broken bones.” However, he said the cause of the injuries could not be determined “with certainty”.
The Iris Dena is part of the Iranian Navy’s 86th Fleet, armed with Noor or Qader anti-ship missiles, a 76mm Fajr-27 naval gun, a 30mm weapon system, torpedoes and surface-to-air missiles.
Iran’s navy says it is designed to enhance its capabilities in protecting global trade, countering piracy and conducting long-distance maritime operations.
It arrived in Visakhapatnam, India, on February 17 to participate in a naval exercise “IFR & MILAN 2026”, the Indian Navy’s Eastern Command said.
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