On information received from a civilian diver, a fresh underwater search was carried out by the Sri Lanka Navy divers on yesterday and the wrecked passenger ferry ‘Valampuri’ was located 8 nautical miles North of Point Pedro at a depth of 15 meters. ‘Valampuri’ was destroyed by a suicide boat of LTTE on 23rd February 1998 off Point Pedro when she was returning from Trincomalee. Twenty naval personal sacrificed their lives during the confrontation and there was not a single survivor in the incident. The attempts to search the vessel were not successful due to rough sea conditions and the volatile security conditions prevailed during that time.

The wreck is lying on the sea bed for years and one fifth of keel is buried under the sand. The wreck is covered completely with a distinct level of marine growth and it has become a very good ground for fish breeding.