Colombo: Twenty people stranded on a boat died due to starvation and dehydration, according to the 71 survivors of the ordeal, the Sri Lankan Navy said on Monday.

The Sri Lankan Navy discovered the survivors of the wooden trawler, which got lost at sea a fortnight ago, in the Bay of Bengal, off the coast of the Tamil Tiger-held northeastern region of the island.

The survivors, who are mainly from Myanmar and Bangladesh, are being rowed to government-held port of Trincomalee.

A military spokesman said "Out of the 91, 3 Bangladeshis and 17 Myanmar nationals have died from starvation and dehydration according to survivors," he added. "So they have thrown the dead bodies overboard."

The passengers were en route to Malaysia or Thailand, according to officials, but their ship's engine failed on February 20, causing them to be stranded with low supply of food and water.