At least 101 people ⁠are missing and 78 are wounded after a ⁠submarine attack on ⁠an Iranian ship off Sri Lanka's coast, it has been claimed. Sri Lanka rescued 30 sailors on the Iris Dena frigate as it sunk off the island's territorial waters, Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath said.

He said the injured were taken to a hospital in the south, which has been put on alert to receive them. The Iris Dena, which has a crew of 180, issued a distress call at dawn. Two Sri Lankan navy vessels and an aircraft were deployed for the rescue mission, Mr Herath confirmed.

Navy spokesman Buddhika Sampath told AFP: "We responded to the distress call under our international obligations, as this is within our Search and Rescue Area in the Indian Ocean."

It is unclear what caused the ship to sink or whether it was attacked as part of the US-Israeli campaign against Iran.

Deputy Minister of Defence, Major General (Retd) Aruna Jayasekara, said the cause of the incident is under investigation, as the "exact cause" is not yet known.

He told BBC Sinhala: "The Navy is investigating. The cause has not been determined yet. At this time, we have not been able to find a definitive cause."

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Galle National Hospital, where the injured are being sent, has received 32 patients from the ship. The director told the outlet that one is in "critical condition", while the others have "minor injuries".

He added: "There are cuts. There are burns. There are a few people with broken bones."