4 killed in 2 accidents within fifteen minutes

Four people, including two women, have lost their lives in two severe road accidents that occurred within a time span of about fifteen minutes in two different parts of the island. These tragedies were reported on the evening of the 22nd in Puttalam, Saliyawewa, and Kothmale, Kadadora areas, and fourteen others were injured and hospitalized.

The first fatal accident was reported from the 19th Mile Post area of Palugassegama, Saliyawewa, on the Puttalam - Anuradhapura main road. This disaster occurred when a luxury passenger bus traveling from Colombo to Mannar met with a sudden accident around 5:45 PM on that day. The driver, attempting to save a dog crossing the road, lost control of the bus, causing it to collide with a bridge on the right side of the road. Subsequently, the bus traveled about 75 meters forward, ran over a motorcycle that was on the road, veered to the left, hit an electricity pole, and overturned. The impact was so severe that a part of the broken electricity pole also fell onto the overturned bus.

In this horrific accident, Nilam Samudpathi Senaratne, a 30-year-old resident of Rajawewa, Mihintale, who was traveling in the bus, and R.D. Nalaka Nishantha Randeniya, a 37-year-old resident of Rajapura Yaya 7, who was the motorcyclist, died on the spot. Fourteen other passengers traveling in the bus, including the driver and conductor, were injured in the accident. Immediately after the accident, residents and the police worked together to admit the injured to Saliyawewa Divisional Hospital, and subsequently to Puttalam Base Hospital for further treatment.

A short while after the Saliyawewa accident, around 6:00 PM on the same day, another shocking accident was reported from the Kadadora area of Kothmale. This accident occurred when a cab traveling from Kothdeniyawa, Kothmale, to Kadadora veered off the road and plunged down a massive precipice of about 500 feet.

In that accident, which resulted from plunging down the precipice, the cab driver, 53-year-old Thusitha Herath, a resident of Kothdeniyawa North, and 50-year-old Chandani Navaratne, a Samurdhi Development Officer who was traveling in the cab, both died. According to reports, this journey was undertaken to drop the said Samurdhi Development Officer at her home. Another woman who sustained serious injuries in this accident has been admitted to Gampola Base Hospital.

Police investigations are currently underway regarding these two fatal road accidents that claimed several lives on the same evening. A team of traffic division officers, including Acting OIC of Saliyawewa Police, Police Inspector W.L.W. Jayasinghe, is investigating the bus accident, while Pussellawa Police are conducting further investigations into the incident where the cab plunged down the precipice. Post-mortem examinations of the deceased were scheduled to be conducted at Puttalam Base Hospital and other relevant hospitals.