Two students from HFC run in to their death

When excitement goes haywire

Road and railway accidents have taken many innocent lives away. But some of them happen due to negligence of victims themselves. 
On Monday, April 25, two students of Holy Family Convent, Bambalapitiya, ran in to their death, while they were crossing the rail tracks in Dehiwela to attend a party. In an attempt to find out what exactly happened, the Daily Mirror spoke to few eyewitnesses and others.
The incident

Imeshi Yasara Perera from Kelaniya and Sharon Skwelin from Wellawatte were students of Holy Family Convent, Bambalapitiya. According to the statements given to the Police by Rohan Weerasinghe, one of her uncles, Imeshi’s parents have been very concerned about her whereabouts. 
Imeshi was the only girl in a family of three and was living with her parents and two younger brothers. Since she was to sit for her A/L examination this year, they have been reluctant to grant her permission to go to any other event. 

But since she has pestered them they had allowed her to go to the party. 
On the other hand, in a statement given by the late Sharon’s brother, Shane, his sister has told him the previous day that she would be going for a friend’s birthday party after school.  She too was to sit for her A/L examination this year. 

However, at the time of the incident and according to CCTV footage, which was released, the two girls are seen running straight in to an express train, which was heading from Colombo Fort to Kalutara South. 

The party was organised at a restaurant in Dehiwela, where its parking lot is situated towards the seaside. 

Therefore anybody who visits this restaurant should cross the rail tracks. Also there were rumours that they had been wearing headphones at the time of the incident and they couldn’t hear the train. Once this tragedy occurred both families had received calls from the Dehiwela Railway Station saying that the bodies will be sent to Colombo South Teaching Hospital.

Cause of death yet to be determined

The post mortem examination was carried out on Tuesday at the Colombo South Teaching Hospital but according to the Acting Coroner Palinda Kotugoda the cause of death cannot still be determined until the train driver gives his statement. Therefore the cause of death will be determined on April 29 at 10.00 a.m.

The school regrets the incident

The Dailymirror  tried to contact the Principal of the Holy Family Convent to get what they know about the incident and two pupils. Speaking on behalf of the school, the Secretary said that the school deeply regretted the incident and at the time the newspaper contacted them, the school management was in the process of making the funeral arrangements.
The Daily Mirror made several attempts to contact the restaurant but failed.