Four dead as van plunges into canal

by Rajmi Manatunga and Panadura group correspondent

Four people including two children were killed when a van travelling on the Galle road fell into a canal in Wadduwa in the wee hours of yesterday.

The accident took place around 3.30 am yesterday when the van heading to Kalutara skidded off the road near the Thalpitiya bridge and fell into the canal knocking out a hoarding on the roadside, Panadura police told the Daily News.

All four passengers - a 40-year-old woman, her two children aged four and six and the driver, drowned in the incident.

The victims have been identified as Sunil Ranjan, Chandrakanthi Jayasinghe, Nirupa Hasinton and Kasidu Kamith from Payagala.

"The victims have been returning home from Ratnapura when the accident occurred. We suspect that the driver must have fallen asleep and lost control of the vehicle. The bodies and the van were recovered in the afternoon by police divers with the help of fishermen in the area," police said.

The magisterial inquiry into the deaths was held yesterday by Panadura magistrate Jagath Kahandagamage.