Two students have died and several others were seriously injured after two motorcycles collided on the Batticaloa–Koddaikallar main road on Saturday night, police said.
The crash happened at around 9.21 p.m. near the Koddaikallar Kannaki Amman Temple. Four young men from the Koddaikallar area were riding two motorcycles along the Kalmunai road when the machines struck each other, according to Batticaloa Police.
One of the motorcycles then went out of control and hit three students who were standing at the roadside waiting to cross, police said. The students had finished a tuition class and were walking home at the time.
Casualties
An 18-year-old died at the scene. A 17-year-old who was taken to hospital in a critical condition died there on Sunday morning. Both were due to sit this year’s G.C.E. Ordinary Level examination.
Ada Derana reported that six others were seriously injured and admitted to hospital, a figure Hiru News put at seven. Five of the injured — three girls and two boys — remained in hospital on Sunday, Hiru News said.
Police have begun an investigation into the collision and the circumstances that led to it. No arrests had been reported as of Sunday evening.
Context
Koddaikallar lies south of Batticaloa town in the Eastern Province, on the coastal road running towards Kalmunai. The stretch carries a mix of through traffic and local pedestrian movement, and the students were struck while on foot rather than in either of the vehicles involved.
Road deaths remain a persistent problem in Sri Lanka, with motorcycles accounting for a large share of fatalities. Police have repeatedly linked night-time crashes on provincial main roads to speed and loss of control.
