Relative identifies Yakadaya's body

Dharma SRI ABEYRATNE

The body of Sanchi Arachchilage Jinadasa, better known as Maradankadawala Yakadaya has been accepted after several days of his death by one of his grandsons.

Yakadaya had passed away at the National Hospital on October 9 while receiving treatment. The postmortem revealed he had died due to natural causes. He is believed to have been around 111 years at the time of his death.

Earlier the Inquirer into Sudden Deaths had instructed that his body be kept for one week at the Colombo Morgue to provide an opportunity for a relative to accept the body. Since no relative came forward to accept his body it had been decided to conduct his funeral at state expense. However, a grandson has accepted his body and the body has been brought to his home in the Maradankadawala area to conduct his funeral rites.

He had been receiving treatment at the Elders Unit (Dementia Ward) at the Mulleriyawa National Mental Health Institution and as his health condition deteriorated he was admitted to the National Hospital on October 3.