5 Sri Lanka fishermen missing after cyclone Mandous

Colombo, Dec 13 (IANS) Sri Lanka's Ministry of Fisheries on Tuesday announced that five fishermen disappeared while at sea during cyclone Mandous.

The five from three multi-day fishing vessels are residents of Batticaloa, Trincomalee and Galle districts, reports Xinhua news agency.

Susantha Kahawatta, director general of the Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, told journalists that the fishing vessels were already at sea when they issued a warning.

He said that the seas off Sri Lanka are calm now and that fishing activities have returned to normal.

Over 21,000 Sri Lankans were affected, with over 5,600 houses damaged by the adverse weather conditions caused by cyclone Mandous.