Young man dies as an earth embankment collapses while digging a pit

One person has died due to a collapse of an earth embankment into an illegal gem mine operated near the Kalu River in the Wagawatta area of Horana. According to the Horana Police Headquarters, the person who faced this tragedy is a thirty-six-year-old married man named Kathri Arachchige Shashika Asiri.

This accident occurred around 1:25 AM on the 15th. While he was digging this illegal mine with several other individuals, an embankment suddenly collapsed. Although the others immediately took steps to hospitalize him after he was severely injured by being buried under the earth embankment, police reports confirm that he was already dead upon arrival at the hospital.

Investigations have now revealed that the deceased person and the group had been secretly engaged in illegal gem mining in this area for a long time. They faced this unexpected accident while carrying out these activities at night to evade the law.

The inquest into this death is scheduled to be conducted by Mr. Sumedha Gunawardhana, the Judicial Medical Officer at Horana Base Hospital. Further police investigations into the incident are being carried out under the direct instructions of Horana Police Headquarters Inspector Ranga Perera, and led by Inspector Parakrama Gunaratne, the OIC of the Minor Complaints Division.