Indian sailor found dead on ship; Sri Lankan police launch probe

The body of an Indian sailor has been found on a ship off the Sri Lankan coast, prompting authorities here to ask the captain to dock the vessel at the Colombo Harbour and launch a probe.

The ship en route to UAE''s Fujairah port from China, was asked to berth at the Colombo Harbour after the ship''s agent requested the police to conduct an inquiry and post-mortem examination into the death of the sailor, officials said today.

"The ship''s agent has asked the police to conduct an investigation. The sailor is believed to have committed suicide. An inquiry will be held followed by a post-mortem examination," police spokesperson ASP Ruwan Gunasekara was quoted as saying by the Xinhua news agency.

According to initial reports, the sailor is said to have committed suicide and his body was discovered when the ship was passing Galle coast in southern Sri Lanka. The Galle Port police had instructed the ship''s captain to divert the vessel to the Colombo Port.