COLOMBO: A ferry with 20 people on board capsized in eastern Sri Lanka on Tuesday, killing at least six people, including children, police said.
Eleven people sustained injuries after the ferry capsized near Kurinchankerny bridge in Kinniya in Trincomalee district and were admitted to a hospital, the police was quoted as saying by the Colombo Gazette.
Hospital sources said that some of those receiving treatment were in critical condition.
Sri Lanka Navy has rescued people from the ferry that capsized in the district.
Among the rescued were three school children, the Navy was quoted as saying by the Colombo Page.
The Navy said it has commenced a dedicated rescue mission to locate the missing persons deploying rescue teams representing Rapid Action Boat Squadron (RABS), Special Boat Squadron (SBS), Marines and Divers and operations are underway to search missing persons, it said.
About 20 people were on board at the time of the accident.
Local residents say that the ferry connecting Kinniya and Kurunjankulam is being used as a new bridge is being built to replace the existing one.
The police said the death toll could rise further.