Colombo: An Indian fishing vessel carrying 11 crew members ran aground in Sri Lankan territorial waters, prompting a rescue response from the island nation's naval forces, officials confirmed on Thursday.

According to the Sri Lanka Navy, the trawler crossed the International Maritime Boundary Line into Sri Lankan waters and was allegedly undertaking bottom trawling prior to striking a reef.

The accident took place on a coastal reef off Delft Island, locally designated as Neduntheevu, situated within the Palk Strait off the northern coastline of the Sri Lankan mainland.

Sri Lankan Navy spokesman Commander Chaminda Walakuluge stated that the Indian vessel was carrying out unlawful fishing operations when the incident occurred on Wednesday, with 11 individuals on board.

"Due to the impact of grounding on the reef, the trawler has sustained partial structural damage," the Sri Lanka Navy noted in an official statement.

Authorities added that the vessel's condition remains stable and the crew faces no immediate physical peril.

Naval units were dispatched to the site to provide assistance to the stranded mariners, the statement confirmed.

Official proceedings regarding the infraction are currently being handled in accordance with statutory protocols, the navy added.

Disputes involving maritime access remain a delicate point of friction between India and Sri Lanka, with Sri Lankan naval units routinely detaining fishermen and confiscating vessels accused of intruding across the maritime boundary in the Palk Strait.

The Palk Strait, a narrow channel of water dividing Tamil Nadu from northern Sri Lanka, serves as a vital fishing zone for communities on both sides of the border.

Mariners from both nations are regularly apprehended for accidentally crossing into neighbouring territorial waters.

PTI