Drunk Driver Rams Into Vesak Dansala Crowd in Sri Lanka, Killing Six

A drunk driver plowed into a crowd waiting in line at a Vesak dansala near Meegoda Junction on Sunday night, killing six people and injuring seven others.

The crash took place on the High Level Road within the Meegoda Police Division. Police stated that a cab traveling from Avissawella toward Colombo lost control and crashed into a group of people queuing at the religious alms-giving.

Thirteen injured individuals were rushed to Homagama Hospital. According to police, three men and three women died from their injuries either before or upon arrival at the hospital.

The male victims, aged 35 to 38, were residents of Hanwella and Avissawella, while the female victims, aged between 15 and 56, came from the Piliyandala area.

Police officers who were on duty at Meegoda Junction responded immediately to the scene. They arrested the driver as he was allegedly trying to flee in the cab. The suspect, a 42-year-old resident of Piliyandala, was found to be under the influence of alcohol at the time of the accident, police confirmed.

The seven injured survivors remain under treatment at Homagama Hospital. Meegoda Police are continuing their investigations into the incident.