Schoolbus in tragic accident had no permit
The school bus from which a seven-year-old child fell and was tragically run over this week was not authorised to transport schoolchildren, police said as family and friends mourned the death of the child.
Police informed the Magistrate's Court that the bus had been using a permit given to a schoolbus that, incidentally, had belonged to the young victim's father, who had sold that bus some time back.
The bus driver, Urale Liyanage Sumith Heshan, was placed on remand until May 25.
The accident occurred on Tuesday morning (May 12) when Imalsha Devmini Dammulle, a Grade 2 student of Christ Church Girls' College, Baddegama, fell off the school bus and was run over.
During the funeral the victim's mother, 30-year-old Madaara Dharshani, who is seven months' pregnant, was too shocked to speak. The father, Lasantha Dammulle, 35, is being treated in hospital for cardiac trouble brought on by the shock of his child's death.
The girl's grandparents and teacher spoke tenderly of her.
“She was closer to us than to her own parents," said the grandmother, M. Karunawathie. "She used to run to us with the homework every evening. "Why did we lose her?” The grandfather, Premadasa Dammulle, who used to walk with the child every day to the main road where she caught her bus to school, said: “We lost every- thing. Nothing can compensate for this loss."
Young Imalsha was outgoing, her class teacher, Lakshmi Gunasiri, said.
“Her special quality was that she was very generous. She never hesitated to give away what was hers."
She has been trying to explain to the victim’s young classmates that they would never see Imalsha again.
“As adults, it is our responsibility to ensure tragedies like this do not happen,” Ms. Gunasiri said.