Eight lives lost in accidents yesterday across the country
Two fatal accidents involve those returning from funerals
Eight people were killed and ten others sustained injuries in road accidents reported from different parts of the country, Police said.
Five people returning from a funeral were killed when the car they were travelling in collided headon with a tipper carrying sand, at Walakumbura, Alawwa. The group was returning to Kurunegala having attended a funeral at Warakapola while the tipper was heading to Colombo from Kurunegala.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the driver, who also died in the crash, had fallen asleep at the wheel.
Alawwa police have arrested the driver of the truck.
The deceased were residents of Ibbagamuwa, Pasyala and Meerigama. Four of them worked at the MAGA construction company.
Three people were killed and three were injured when a van veered off the Ella-Wellawaya road near the Ravana falls, last morning, police said.
The van which was heading towards Ella fell down a precipice of about 150 feet near the Ella Rock Hotel around 6 a.m. The injured were admitted to the Wellawaya, Sirigala and Badulla hospitals.
Among the killed were two CEB emplyees and the vehicle's driver. They too were returning from Hambantota after attending a funeral.
Police, army and residents of the area launched a three-hour operation to rescue the driver who was trapped in the van. He succumbed to his injuries.
Seven people were injured when a cab crashed into a train travelling from Talaimannar to Colombo at Thambuththegama police said.
The injured, who included three members from one family and residents of Colombo and Thalawa area were admitted to the Anuradhapura Hospital.
The cab was travelling from Anuradhapura to Padeniya when it collided with the train.
The gate at the railway crossing was not closed at the time the accident and there were no rail guards at the scene, police said. Damage to several train carriages have been estimated to be around Rs. 100,000.