February 19, 2017•Update: February 19, 2017
By Dilrukshi Handunnetti
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka
Ten people were killed when a boat capsized off Sri Lanka's southwestern coast Sunday, according to police.
The boat capsized at around 11 a.m. (0530 GMT) in the sea off Kalutara town, some 60 kilometers (37 miles) south of the capital Colombo, after setting sail from a nearby coastal town, Beruwala.
The ill-fated boat was part of a procession of boats participating in a local religious festival, police spokesman Priyantha Jayakody said.
Sri Lankan navy along with air force and police rescued nine other people in a joint operation.
It remains unclear whether it was the weather or the overloading of the boat that caused the incident.
Despite a drought spell, Sri Lanka has begun to experience rain in many areas, and though there had been no weather warning, seas have become rough, according to the Colombo-based Disaster Management Center.
