Woman drowns as barge capsizes

By Krishan Jeewaka Jayaruk  

A woman drowned when the barge used to transport people from the Hungangoda jetty to Thudawa over the Nilwala River in Matara capsized, while two others on the barge at the time had been rescued by the Thihagoda Police.  

The deceased woman has been identified as Wasalathantri Mudiyanselage Kamalawathi (42)- mother of two of Nawimana South  

She had met with this accident while going to Matara from her village to buy domestic commodities taking the barge in order to  save time instead of travelling eight kilometres on land.  
At the time of the accident, a nephew of the woman and another had been with the woman with two motorcycles on  board and as the boat-owner was not available at the moment, they had tried them selves to take the boat across the river with help of the rope extending on either side of the river. However they had lost the control and the boat had overturned in mid river.  
The passengers had been struggling in the water for half an hour when the neighbours rescued and rushed them to the hospital. However the woman had died at the hospital.  
 The postmortem was due to be held and the Thihagoda police is investigating under the supervision of of Matara SP Anil Priyantha      

• She had met with this accident while going to Matara from her village to buy domestic commodities