Badulla Magistrate Nujith De Silva yesterday conducted an on-site inspection at the scene of the accident where two students were killed after the cab which they were travelling overturned during a vehicle parade held before the start of the second day of the 74th cricket big match between Uva Maha Vidyalaya and Dharmadutha Maha Vidyalaya in Badulla town. Six others were injured and admitted to the Badulla General Hospital on Saturday, April 1.
The Magistrate also visited the mortuary of the Badulla General Hospital and ordered the Judicial Medical Officer to conduct an investigation and submit a report.
The police said that two students who were travelling in a cab which overturned during a vehicle parade held before the start of the second day of the 74th cricket big match between Uva Maha Vidyalaya and DharmaduthaMaha Vidyalaya in Badulla town, died and six others were injured and admitted to the Badulla General Hospital on Saturday, April 1.
Sekku Baduge Harindra Rukmal De Silva (18), a student of Grade 13 in the Commerce Stream of Badulla Dharmadutha Vidyalaya and Ravindu Dulakshana (18), a prefect of the school who resides in Badulla Hali-ela, have died.
Police said that two of the six students who had been injured in the incident and were hospitalised are receiving treatment at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and two other students who had sustained only minor injuries had fled from the hospital on the night of first April, while the two remaining students are under treatment.
The cricket match between the two schools had officially commenced on March 31 and before the start of the second day of the match, police had prevented a group of students from going to the stadium in a motorcade in the city, so the students had gone to the Malwatte Stadium, which is adjacent to the stadium where the cricket match was being played and engaged in a parade around it at high speed. The police said that the accident had happened there.
According to the police, when the injured were being admitted to the Badulla hospital, two students had already died and another six had been injured and there had been about 20 students in the cab at the time.
The organizing committee had made arrangements to hold the cricket match after the accident and ensured that it ended in a draw.
Badulla Senior Superintendent Sujith Wedamulla said:”Some are accusing the police regarding this accident. However, neither the school nor the Past Pupils’Association had asked for permission to hold motorcades and vehicle parades. Even if they did, it would not be allowed. When these students were trying to go in a parade in the city, on the day of the accident, police had prevented them from doing so. I had deployed 125 police officers for protection during the cricket match. However, they had gone to another stadium and been travelling round it at high speed when the accident had taken place. It had not happened on a main road.
We cannot be held responsible for this accident. The driver of the vehicle involved in the accident is receiving treatment at the hospital. I will make sure they are arrested and legal action will be taken, he said”.
Officers of the traffic division including Chief Inspector T.M.Ratnayake are carrying out investigations.