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Brother (27), sister (24) drown at sea
View(s):A young brother and sister were washed away to sea yesterday, in one of the latest of a string of drownings reported during the New Year.
The latest incident took place in Beruwala, where 27-year-old Ahamad Mudjahid and his 24-year-old sister, Thrushna Taabi, from Hulftsdorf, Colombo, had drowned at sea, while visiting a lighthouse situated on a promontory near Beruwala.
The two siblings had been dragged out to sea by a huge wave and were rescued by boats at the lighthouse, and admitted to Beruwala Hospital, but were pronounced dead on admission.
Another death by drowning took place on Friday (20) in the Yatabiriya area in Kelaniya, where a 23-year-old Moratuwa University undergraduate, Diwulwalahewage Kanishka Dilshan Weerakoon drowned when his boat capsized in the Kelani river in Ginigathhena.
Ginigathena police said the incident had taken place in the morning, when a group of people had been indulging in water sports riding in boats.
The postmortem was due to be held at Theligama Hospital.
Meanwhile, another similar death by drowning took place when 27-year-old teledrama actress Thushani de Silva, a mother of one, went for a bath in the Kelani river, in the Gingathhena area.
According to submissions at the Coroner’s Inquest by the victim’s elder sister, Thanthirige Nilanthi de Silva, they were on a family trip to Leisure World at Avissawella, on Monday (16) and spent the night at Kitulgala.
“Next day, while packing our bags to leave, my younger sister went to bathe in the river”, she said.
She said their father had shouted out not to venture to the middle of the river where the current is strong. Her sister had shouted back that the river, near its bank was muddy, and waded a little away from the bank, when she was swept away by the current and drowned in the middle of the river.
“We called for help and a hotel employee rushed to get his life jacket, but within minutes she drowned,” she said.
At least another 8 deaths due to drowning were reported in various parts of the country, during the New Year holiday period.