Singapore rescues 300 suspected migrants from sinking boat

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Sri Lanka’s navy says about 300 suspected migrants have been rescued by Singapore authorities after their boat started sinking. A navy spokesperson says a Sri Lankan citizen on the boat contacted the navy Monday and said they were in distress. The Maritime Rescue Coordination Center in Colombo sought help from Singapore, Vietnam and the Philippines. The spokesperson says Singapore authorities later notified Sri Lanka that the people on board the boat had been rescued and are heading to Vietnam. Sri Lankans in the past sometimes undertook hazardous and illegal boat journeys to escape a long civil war. Some Sri Lankans are now trying to escape an economic crisis by migrating illegally to other countries.