One dead, 8 injured in head-on collision of van and tipper truck

One person was killed while eight others, including six women from the same family, were injured and hospitalised after a van collided head-on with a tipper truck in the Vahaneri area in Valaichchenai on the Batticaloa-Polonnaruwa main road.

The injured were admitted to Valaichchenai Base Hospital and then transferred to Batticaloa hospital for further treatment.

However, one of the injured passengers, a 74-year-old resident of Welikanda, had succumbed to injuries later.

This accident had occurred last evening (23) when the van was trying to overtake a bowser travelling in the same direction, and collided head-on with a tipper truck vehicle coming from the opposite direction, police said.

The driver of the tipper truck involved in the accident was also injured and is currently receiving treatment at the Valaichchenai Base Hospital.