Brilliant girl’s career ends in blaze

By Pushpakumara Jayaratna

A Sri Lankan girl who had completed her studies in computer science after having been awarded a scholarship to study in China, met a tragic end when she died in a gas cylinder explosion in Hong Kong where she was seeking employment.

She was Erandhi Kosala Premaratne (25) from Wellawa in Kurunegala. Erandhi died in a Hong Kong hospital after suffering burn injuries but her body is still to be brought home with the family unable to afford the high costs needed to transfer the body to Sri Lanka.

Erandhi Kosala: A promising future cut short

She was the youngest in a family of three children. Her two brothers are serving in the Army and the mother is a widow.

Erandhi had received her primary education at Wellawa MMV. Having passed the Grade V scholarship exam she had qualified for admission to Ibbagamuwa MMV and study in the English medium.

She was studying for her A/L when she received a scholarship from the Chinese Government in 2002 and went there giving up her idea of a university education.

She learnt Japanese and Chinese languages during her three year stay there and left for Hong Kong to further her studies. Because of her computer literacy she had gained employment in Hong Kong, a few days before she died. Her birthday fell on March 28 and she celebrated the occasion with some friends. It was while she was busying herself in the kitchen that the accident occurred.

Owing to the extensive burns she suffered a DNA test was necessary to help identify her body.

Her family needs about Rs. 400,000 to get down her body but they are unable to afford it.
Her brother Sarath Lakshman Premaratne had appealed to the President through the media for help.

It is likely that the State will bear the cost of getting her body here, he said. He said the Foreign Employment Bureau promised to get the body down but it would take some time.

Erandhi’s mother Somalatha

The family’s is depressed due to the delay in seeing the body. The mother Somalatha (52) is in a semi-conscious state and is yet unaware of the daughter’s death. She believes her to be in hospital and the family members fear how she would react when the truth is known.

Ven. Kallanchiye Chandarathana Thera, Registrar of the sasanarakshaka mandalaya of the Walalugala Rajamaha vihara had helped to facilitate the transfer of the body to Sri lanka. . He recalled that Erandhi was his best student and that she conducted tuition classes in English, while she was also prepared to impart computer knowledge to the other students at her expense.

Her thatched home is yet to be completed which is proof of the family’s poverty. The thera said the family should get some help from the Hong Kong Government adding that all Lankan expatriates must receive help from welfare funds in case of accidents of this nature.

Her brother recalled how she did not wish to accept a job in a bank here and said she was to complete her stay in Hong Kong in a month’s time.