Bus reverses killing six year old girl

Chamikara Weerasinghe

A six year old girl died yesterday after being run over by a Mathugama-Colombo bus that was reversing on the main road at Rawathawatta.

The police have arrested the driver and the conductor of the bus. The bus is also in the police custody.

Ahimsa Sevmini Almeida was with her parents at the time of the accident. They survived.

The incident had taken place at 6.45 pm, the police said. "The girl was in her school uniform in the morning and was being taken to the school by her parents on a motorbike," said HQI of Moratuwa Police, CI Rohan Perera.

"The private bus driver had reversed the bus on the main road to avoid a van in front of the Rawatawatta-Colombo bus-stand," he said. "The motorbike with the girl and her parents was right behind the reversing bus and was hit, he said. The six year old girl fell off the bike and was caught in the rear wheels of the bus. She died instantly, police said. Moratuwa police are investigating.