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Miracle in the middle of the night
Students of Wennappuwa Holy Family Balika Maha Vidyalaya recount the terrifying moment when a huge Mara tree came crashing down on them causing extensive damage but sparing their lives
A deafening sound like a thunderbolt, then a creaking and groaning and then they saw stars. “Kalu walakulu athere api tharu keepayak dekka, e welewa poda wessak thibbata,” says Kusala Gothami, 18, explaining that suddenly they were getting wet in a slight drizzle with also a shower of sand but through the dark clouds and the inky blackness they saw a few stars twinkling in the sky.

What the 38 children including Kusala of the Wennappuwa Holy Family Balika Maha Vidyalaya did not know was that they had had a narrow escape and were lucky to be alive. For, over their heads, balanced precariously on two thin walls of their dormitory lay a huge mara tree uprooted by the strong winds that had been experienced in the area that day. The tree with a massive girth had crashed down in turn bringing the roof down, raining debris on the sleeping girls but getting wedged on the two walls of the dormitory. Pandemonium reigned thereafter.

The girls, all in the age group of 11 to 18, recall the moment with fear. Most of them had just turned off the lights and gone to bed, for some were studying for their year-end tests and others for the Ordinary Level examination. It was about 11.30 on the night of November 21. The falling tree had knocked off the electricity and the hostel was in darkness. The children, some of them pinned down by the branches were screaming, others crying in fear. The doors were blocked by the trunk of the tree.

Sr. Henrietta Perera, Principal of the school who occupied a tiny room adjoining the dormitory could not get out because her door was also jammed by the spreading branches of the tree. “It had rained earlier but at the time the tree crashed down there was not much rain,” says Sr. Henrietta explaining that there had been some gusts of wind earlier.

Iresha Shashikala, 18, heard a loud crack and closed her eyes waiting for the sound to cease. Suddenly she felt debris falling on her. “Wewwlanna gaththa, aduna,” she says, explaining that she began shivering and burst into tears.
Ruvini Pramoda, 11, and Anusha Kumari, 16, heard the screams of the other girls and woke up in terror. Both were pinioned by the branches. Pramoda, though she did not realize it at that moment had also suffered a slight injury to the side of her head. “I couldn’t get up and started shouting to the others to save me, says Anusha. “Balka thibbe edan uda. Yantham beruna.” (The beams were on the bed and we had a narrow escape.)

Some of the bigger girls who had their wits about them got out of the dorm and forced open Sr. Henrietta’s door. Soon after, they had sent a group of girls to the convent which is at the front of the large property off the Wennapuwa-Chilaw Road. And a group of nuns along with the Superior had come to their aid immediately, to count heads, and check out whether the girls were injured. While some of the nuns shepherded the shaken girls back to the convent for steaming cups of tea and coffee and for their minor cuts and bruises to be attended to, other nuns had begun the arduous task of pulling out the books and clothes of the girls from among the debris. The clothes were all wet but everyone shared their stuff, including the nuns.
“The first thing we did was to gather around and sing the praises of Our Lady (Mother of Christ) for keeping us safe in the midst of such danger,” says Sr. Henrietta humbly.

The nuns also called in the very willing neighbours and at the crack of dawn the parents of some hostellers who live relatively close arrived to give a helping hand. Early morning saw the Zonal Director and Deputy Director of Education ,both on being informed by the Principal, rushing to the school along with other prominent people including politicians.

The past pupils of the school too put their shoulder to the wheel and helped in clearing the debris. And it took 12 men four and a half days to chop up the tree. Sr. Henrietta has a simple explanation for the tragedy averted. Pointing to the mangled fans and steel cupboards, she says with awe: “It’s a miracle.”
- Kumudini H

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