A 24-year-old Eelam Tamil man who was shot at by the Sri Lankan navy, swam across the Palk Strait and arrived in India last week, as he becomes the latest Tamil to flee the island.
The youth, named as Hassan Khan alias Ajay alias Khan of Mannar, was reportedly part of another Eelam Tamil family of five, including three children, who described the encounter with the Sri Lankan navy last week.
As the navy fired at the boat, Khan however dived into the water. He then swam seven nautical miles across the Palk Strait to India.
The family of five had no idea to his whereabouts having been stranded for almost two days without food or water.
They have all now been handed over to officials of the Mandapam Rehabilitation Camp.
Read more from The Hindu here.
Hundreds of Eelam Tamils have fled the island to India in recent months, as the economic crisis in Sri Lanka adds to their misery.
