Five drown in boat tragedy

by Manjula FERNANDO

Five people drowned and two others were hospitalised after a boat that took them to the Beruwala lighthouse capsized on its return journey around 4.45 last evening.Among the dead were four men and a woman. They have been identified as staff members of the Sanasa Bank, Pelawatte, Battaramulla.

Two others who nearly drowned have been rescued and admitted to hospital.

The boatman claimed that the passengers had been under the influence of liquor and had disregarded his warnings not to lean on to one side of the boat, causing it to tilt and overturn, throwing 11 people overboard.

None of the passengers were wearing life jackets at the time of the incident. Meanwhile, the police have arrested the boatman and the helper over the incident.

One hundred and nine staff members of the Sanasa Bank had joined in the pleasure trip and had travelled in two buses and a van. The Beruwala police are conducting investigations.