Six killed in road accidents

Six people were killed and two injured in two separate road accidents involving three-wheelers, motorbikes, a private bus and a lorry in Eheliyagoda and Tissamaharama in the morning hours of yesterday, Police said.

Four youth, aged between 18 and 29, including the driver, were killed in Eheliyagoda when the three wheeler they were travelling from Ratnapura to Avissawella, collided with a motorbike and a private bus coming from the opposite direction on the Colombo Ratnapura main road yesterday morning, Police said.

Two pillion riders on the motorbike injured in the accident were admitted to the Eheliyagoda hospital and the rider of the motorbike and the bus driver have been arrested by the Police.

According to Police, three people were travelling on the motorbike at the time of the accident.

The three -wheeler had overturned after colliding with the motorbike and crashed with the private bus coming from the opposite direction resulting the fatal accident, Police said.

In a separate accident, two people travelling on a motorbike were also killed at the 257th mile post on the Tissamaharama-Hambantota road when the motorbike they were riding, collided with a lorry. The two motorcyclists aged 38 and 42 were killed on the spot. The Police on Thursday announced tightened laws on motorcyclists as the number of accidents involving motorcycles are on the rise.

Recent statistics released by the Police estimates that 2.9 million motorcycles are on the roads and it accounts for 53 per cent of the countryâ€(tm)s total vehicle population.

The Police statistics, as reported in the media, also says that 332 pillion riders were killed in accidents in the first four months of this year alone.

A total of 2389 people have been killed in road accidents in the year 2014.

(RW)