Car Plunges into River in Chilaw, Illicit Couple Dies

A tragic incident similar to today's accident in the Sainthamaruthu area, where a car overturned into a canal and three lives were lost, occurred yesterday in Chilaw, and an attempt to rescue one person seen at the time of the incident was unsuccessful.

 In a tragic accident that occurred in the Naravila, Bandurawa area, which falls under the Koswatta Police Division in Chilaw, a car veered off the road and plunged into the Rathmal Oya, killing a woman and a man instantly at the scene.

The Koswatta Police in Chilaw confirm that this accident occurred yesterday (26) around 8:30 AM.

The deceased in this sudden accident are a 38-year-old man residing in the Manigala area of Dunkannawa and a 41-year-old woman residing in the Bandaranaikepura area of Dunkannawa. Police investigations have revealed that the deceased woman was a mother of two children, and her husband is employed abroad, while the deceased man had maintained a close relationship with her.

The car, which was traveling along a by-road near the Rathmal Oya bridge from the Bandurawa main road, fell into a ditch by the roadside and immediately overturned into the nearby Rathmal Oya. At the time of the accident, there was light rainfall in the area, making the road muddy and slippery,

Police suspect that due to this, the driver lost control of the car, causing it to skid, fall into the ditch, and the accident to occur.

About fifteen minutes after the vehicle plunged into the river, residents who witnessed it immediately sprang into action, jumping into the river and making strenuous efforts to pull out the two individuals trapped inside the car. Sudila Balasuriya, a local resident who commented on the incident, stated that when he and his group arrived at the scene, the car was submerged upside down in the water, with only one wheel visible. He further added that despite him and another friend getting into the river and retrieving the two individuals with great difficulty, they were already deceased.

The bodies of the deceased have been taken to Marawila Base Hospital for post-mortem examinations. Under the instructions of Koswatta Police Station OIC, Police Inspector Sanath Warnakulasuriya, a team of officers including Traffic Division OIC, Sub-Inspector Silva, are conducting further investigations into the incident.