Latest News
Greece boat disaster: Capsized boat had 100 children in hold – reports
Survivors from a fishing boat that sank off southern Greece in one of Europe’s worst migrant disasters say up to 100 children may have been on board.
At least 78 people have already been confirmed dead in the disaster. But scores more could still be missing at sea, with reports suggesting that up to 750 people were aboard the vessel.
The country’s coastguard has been criticised for not intervening earlier but authorities say their offers of aid were refused. Rescuers are still scouring the seas off Greece in a massive search operation, as hopes of finding more survivors dwindle. Shocking accounts of a large number of women and children travelling in the hold of the ship have come via medics who treated the mostly male survivors.
Manolis Makaris, a doctor at Kalamata hospital, told local reporters that after lending his phone to a survivor to enable them to call home the man had spoken of a large number of children in the hold – possibly as many as 100.
Another reporter from Greece’s ANT1 channel asked a survivor if there were 100 children on board, to which the survivor replied: “Yes”. The charity Save the Children, citing testimonies from survivors, also gave the same number. The BBC has not been able to independently verify this figure.
But government spokesman Ilias Siakantaris said there were unconfirmed reports that up to 750 people in total were on the boat. “We do not know what was in the hold but we know that several smugglers lock people up to maintain control,” he told the broadcaster ERT.
Activist Nawal Soufi was the first to raise the alarm after being contacted by people on the boat on Tuesday morning. She also believes around 750 people were on board.
The boat went down about 80km (50 miles) south-west of Pylos after 02:04 on Wednesday morning local time, according to the Greek coastguard.
(BBC)
A five wicket haul by Sethmika Seneviratne helped Sri Lanka under 19s register an 8 wicket win over Nepal in their Under 19 Asia Cup opener in Dubai today (13).
Brief scores
Sri Lanka Under 19 84/2 in 14.5 overs (Dimantha Mahavithana 39*, Kavija Gamage 24*) beat Nepal Under 19s 82/10 in 28.5 overs (Cibrin Shesthra 18; Sethmika Seneviratne 5-25) by eight wickets
Latest News
Advisory for severe lightning issued to the Districts of Kaluthara, Rathnapura, Galle and Matara
Advisory for Severe Lightning
Issued by the Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre
at 12.30 p.m. 13 December 2025 valid for the period until 11.00 p.m. 13 December 2025 for Kaluthara, Rathnapura, Galle and Matara Districts
The public are warned that thundershowers accompanied with severe lightning are likely to occur at some places in the Kaluthara, Rathnapura, Galle and Matara Districts.
There may be temporary localized strong winds during thundershowers.
General public is kindly requested to take adequate precautions to minimize damages caused by lightning activity.
ACTION REQUIRED:
The Department of Meteorology advises that people should:
Seek shelter, preferably indoors and never under trees.
Avoid open areas such as paddy fields, tea plantations and open water bodies during thunderstorms.
Avoid using wired telephones and connected electric appliances during thunderstorms.
Avoid using open vehicles, such as bicycles, tractors and boats etc.
Beware of fallen trees and power lines.
For emergency assistance contact the local disaster management authorities.
Based on the prevailing disaster situation and the upcoming festive season, arrangements have been made to provide a nutrition allowance worth Rs. 5,000 to pregnant mothers.
This allowance, which will be provided only once, will be given to pregnant mothers who were registered at maternal clinics on or before 30 November 2025.
The distribution will take place through the Divisional Secretariat offices from 16 December, as a program of the National Secretariat for Early Childhood Development, which is affiliated with the Ministry of Women and Child Affairs.
Sethmika stars as Sri Lanka under 19s crush Nepal by 8 wickets
Advisory for severe lightning issued to the Districts of Kaluthara, Rathnapura, Galle and Matara
Pregnant Mothers to receive Rs 5000 Nutrition Allowance in December
640 deaths, 211 missing as at 6:00AM today (13)
New Digitalization Policy draft reviewed
The government is taking steps to streamline trade facilitation, customs processes, investment approvals, and improving export facilities – Prime Minister
‘Dates have the highest sugar content to fight Coronavirus’
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