Kochi: A total of 183 crew members from the Iranian vessel IRIS Lavan have been accommodated at naval facilities in Kochi after the ship docked in the southern Indian port on 4 March, according to sources cited by AFP.

The development comes amid heightened tensions in the Indian Ocean region following reports that the United States sank an Iranian warship, IRIS Dena, near Sri Lanka. The vessel was reportedly hit by a torpedo fired from a US submarine.

Meanwhile, another Iranian warship, IRIS Bushehr, has docked in Sri Lanka. Sri Lankan authorities said the vessel had requested assistance while anchored outside the country’s waters.

According to the Associated Press, the Sri Lankan Navy transferred more than 200 sailors from the ship to shore on Friday after the crew reported a technical fault. Navy spokesperson Commander Buddhika Sampath said the sailors were taken to the Welisara Naval Base near the capital, Colombo. Around 15 crew members remain aboard the vessel.

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Sri Lankan naval personnel are currently stationed on the ship to assist with the situation. Officials said the vessel will be escorted to the port of Trincomalee in eastern Sri Lanka, where it will remain until further notice.