23 December 2019 10:36 pm
At least three Indians including a woman and a Sri Lankan driver (67) were killed following a container lorry and van collision on the Southern Expressway (E-01) in Kurundugahahetekma this evening, the expressway police said.
They said the accident occurred after the van crashed on to the back of the moving container lorry at the 62nd-kilometre post near the Kurundugahahetekma Interchange.
At the time of the accident, six Indians were travelling from Matara to Colombo, they said.
Three Indians including a woman and the driver of the van were pronounced dead upon admission to the Nagoda and Elpitiya hospitals.
The Expressway police claimed the van driver had fallen asleep on the wheel and crashed into the back of the container lorry.
While the container lorry was travelling at a speed of 25 kmph, the van had hit the back of the lorry, a senior official of the E-01 said.
According to the Elpitiya hospital police, five persons including the van driver were admitted with the van driver and two Indians found dead on admission.
Another two Indians were transferred to the Karapitiya hospital, Galle, for further treatments.
The Nagoda hospital police confirmed that one Indian was admitted and he had also died upon admission. (Chaturanga Samarawickrama)