News
Sanasa bank top officials die in Beruwala boat tragedy
View(s):The head of a Sanasa Bank branch, his deputy, two directors and the wife of one of them were drowned when their boat capsized in the sea off Beruwala last evening, police said.
The tragedy took place close to the beach
The victims, who were residents of Thalangama, had gone out on an annual trip with members of the microfinance cooperative bank and the tragedy occurred when eleven of them were returning from a visit to a light house islet.
A survivor told the Beruwala Police that the boat was hit by two big waves as they were approaching the coast and the tragedy occurred when all the passengers gathered together on one side to avoid being hit by the waves.
Beruwala’s Crimes Inspector M.G. Gunatillake said none of the passengers on the boat was wearing safety jackets and they had arrested two people who operated the boat. Police are investigating whether negligence on the part of those who operated the boat led to the tragedy.
An eyewitness said some boats in the vicinity came to their rescue but they could save only six of them. Two of them were hospitalised.
The dead were identified as G.A Gunaratne (Chairman of the Sanasa Branch), Deputy Chairman K.G.H. Chandrakumara, director K.W. Jayawardena and director L.P.Sirisena and his wife Miuline Silva.
Follow @timesonlinelk
Related Posts:
On course on his eco-friendly boatIn 1915, I.S. Waidiyarathna Karunatilake’s grandfather obtained a licence for passenger and cargo transportation in waterways, from the British administration ...
Despite the detections the exodus continues against all oddsFifty-five-year-old dairy farmer Mohan Thurairajah’s dream was to seek greener pastures Down Under. Thurairajah was among the 53 people who took ...
More illegal migrants reach Australia despite curbsDespite government’s efforts to curb illegal migration, 32 more Sri Lankans arrived in the Australian territory of Christmas Island yesterday ...
Rare hit and sail mishap ends in watery grave for fishermanTwo fishermen narrowly escaped while a third died after their tiny boat reportedly collided with a container ship in a ...
Navy rescues 51 Lankans from mid-sea graveThe Navy was yesterday hunting for a group of human traffickers who intentionally set adrift 51 Australia-bound illegal migrants on ...