Mara tree falls on van injuring nine

Rafik Jalaldeen

At least nine people were injured three of them critically when a Mara tree fell on a van in Talawakelle on Monday evening. The Road Development Authority was struggling with a swarm of wasps to clear the fallen Mara tree.

Public were requested to use alternative Radelle road to reach the Despert estate to avoid the road blocked by the fallen tree.

Police spokesman Senior DIG Nimal Mediwake said a Mara tree had fallen on a van injuring nine persons along Despert road around 6 pm on Monday. At the time of the incident 12 people were inside the van and nine of them sustained injuries. Three were reported to be in critical condition,” he added.

He noted that the tragedy had occurred when a group of people from Thalawakelle were proceeding to Kirimetiya Division in the Despert Estate in a hired van. “Bus service has been suspended to the Despert estate due to a bridge reconstruction along Despert road. Therefore, people living and visiting the Despert estate tend to take hired vehicles to reach the Despert estate”, he said.

Six of the injured were admitted to the Nuwara-Eliya hospital while the critically injured were being treated at the Kandy hospital.

Police requested the public to use alternative road to reach the Despert estate and the surrounding areas since the RDA has been engaged to remove the Mara tree from the road. The Thalawakelle-Nuwara-Eliya road was functioning normally.

He said however, authorities are facing difficulties in removing the tree as part of the tree was covered by Wasps.