VAN-TRAIN ACCIDENT AT PADUKKA

Van-train accident takes away the lives of pre-school boy and driver

     A 5 year old pre-school child and a van-driver lost their lives at about 7.30 in the morning yesterday (14th) when the van transporting school-children came in direct contact with a train at the unprotected railway crossing at Wawulkelle, Moragahatenna, Padukka on the Kelani Valley railway line. It is reported that all the other children in the van were dropped at their schools and this last child was being transported to be dropped at his pre-school when this accident has happened. It is said that if all the children were in the van at the moment of the accident, there would have been a greater calamity.

    It has been identified that those deceased in the accident were Rasindu Malsara, a 5 year old child from Galagedera, Padukka and Anjana Hemantha, the van-driver aged 36, a resident of Mawathagama.


   While the van carrying the child was travelling along the unprotected railway crossing; just then a power engine had been moving towards Colombo-Fort and onlookers have shouted asking the driver not to proceed along the the railway crossing. But he had not taken notice of their warning and had continued to drive the van.

   It is reported that the van which collided with the train was dragged about 50 metres, connected to the engine and was thus carried forward . Later, those in the area had pulled out the pre-school child stuck inside the van and the driver with great difficulty and despatched them to hospital.

   Hospital sources reported that both of them had passed away on admittance.