A mason who climbed to fix the roof of a house in Pitipana died after a rafter broke and he fell.

A tragic incident has been reported from Pitipana North, Homagama, where a fifty-year-old carpenter, Samaraappulige Manjula Sisira Kumara, a father of one, residing at No. 267/01, Beruketiya, Dampe, who was engaged in routine roof repair work to earn his daily living, fell from a height of about twelve feet and died.

According to the police, the accident occurred during roof repair work on a newly constructed house in the Pitipana North area. The deceased carpenter was engaged in the work with a relative. The accident happened when he stepped on an ironwood beam (yakadamaran leeya) that was being used for the roof repair, and it unexpectedly broke in the middle.

As the beam broke, his body fell directly onto the concrete floor below from a height of about twelve feet. Due to the severe impact, he sustained serious injuries to his head and back, and he was immediately admitted to Homagama Base Hospital for treatment. However, Homagama Police state that he passed away on the 4th while receiving treatment at the hospital.

Ms. Manel Gamage, the Homagama Inquirer into Sudden Deaths and Justice of the Peace, visited the accident site and conducted an on-site inspection. Subsequently, she ordered the Judicial Medical Officer of Homagama Base Hospital to conduct a post-mortem examination on the body.

Accordingly, the post-mortem examination was conducted by Dr. M.S. Dineth, the Judicial Medical Officer of Homagama Base Hospital. According to the medical reports and evidence revealed, internal bleeding occurred due to the fall from a height onto the concrete floor. Furthermore, it was confirmed that a blood clot from a vein in a leg traveled and became lodged in the lungs, directly contributing to the death.

Based on these medical conclusions, Inquirer into Deaths Ms. Manel Gamage concluded that this was a death caused by an accidental fall. A team of officers from Homagama Police, including Police Constable (97582) Thilakarathna, are conducting further investigations into the incident.