Tragedy of 7 year old Imalsha who died run over by her father's school-bus

Tragedy of 7 year old Imalsha who died ....

run over by her father's school-bus!

News was reported from Hammeliya area in Beddegama of an incident early last morning of a

student of year 2 falling from a school-bus and passing away most unfortunately.

The said bus of the Rosa type had been used by the deceased student's own father for school service, but at the time the accident happened, the vehicle had been driven by another. Early last morning when this student was travelling in this bus to school she had been standing close to the door and had even given instructions to stop the bus from time to time and has thereby offered her support to pick up other students travelling in the bus. The reason for it was that a different driver had been in charge of the steering-wheel that day and he was unaware of others who were to get into the bus.

While the bus was on its way in this manner the small girl had stopped the bus at Hammeliya area and had picked up another student. Later as the bus was being taken forward, the small girl who was on the footboard had fallen down from there. No sooner she had fallen from the bus, she had got run over by the rear tyre of the bus. When the girl's head and abdomen region had got under the tyre her white uniform had been seen soaked by blood. The neighbours who rocked to the place then promptly had pulled her out and taken to Beddegama Hospital in a three-wheeler. However even by the time she was taken there the hospital doctors pronounced her dead.

The small girl who died in this manner was Dammullage Imalsha Devmini (7) residing in Waduwelvitiya in Beddegama, a student of Year 2 at Beddegama Christ Church College. The child's father had hired the bus from another bus-owner and had been using it for school service. Though he had been driving the bus on a daily basis, he had left on a hire of a garment factory in Elpitiya which he received early that morning and therefore had assigned the driving job to a driver-friend of his named Sumith and thus he has been responsible for this accident.

Though the deceased child's mother's elder sister had as a custom operating daily conducting the duty of collecting the students of the bus and dropping them and at the time of the accident she had not been in the bus. The point from where she was to be picked up happened to be beyond the spot where the tragedy took place. Lasantha Dammulla (37) the father of the child who was engaged in this school-service for a period of 10 years is in a state of shock because of the incident. The child's mother E.A. Madara Darshani (32) attached to Welivitiya Divitura District Health Medical Office is presently with baby.

It was reported that the wailing and weeping by the parents and relatives heard from Beddegama Hospital grounds shocked the whole of Beddegama area. This vehicle being driven minus an attendant being employed in service is to be questioned by the police.