LNP - Van carrying schoolchildren crashes in Ragala; Three injured

A van transporting schoolchildren veered off the road and overturned yesterday afternoon, injuring a schoolgirl, a woman, and the driver, Ragala Police said.  They said the injured were admitted to the Nuwara Eliya District General Hospital. The accident occurred around 2:30 p.m. in the Brookside Estate area along the Nuwara Eliya–Ragala main road. According to police, the van, which was reportedly travelling at high speed, suffered a sudden mechanical failure, causing it to plunge about 10 feet into a tea estate and come to rest against a tree. At the time of the accident, six schoolchildren and the mother of one of the students were in the van. Local residents rushed to the scene and helped evacuate the injured and the other children from the vehicle. Ragala Police, who are continuing investigations, said the van was extensively damaged in the cr