At least three persons have been hospitalized after a private-owned light aircraft had made an emergency landing in the Kimbulapitiya area in Katunayake. 

Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) has deployed a rescue team to the location, the SLAF spokesman said.

Two foreign passengers and a pilot have been injured and hospitalised after a Cessna 172 aircraft belonging to Sakurai Airlines made an emergency landing near a marshland in the Kmbulapitiya area. 

Four persons were onboard the private aircraft and three of them have been admitted to the Negombo General Hospital with injuries, hospital sources said.  

Meanwhile the Director Operations at Airport & Aviation Services, Shehan Sumanasekara stated that the pilot of the aircraft had made an emergency landing at Kimbulapitiya, Katana a short while ago due to a technical fault in the aircraft. 

Ada Derana reporter said that the light aircraft, a Cessna 172, has sustained damages in the emergency landing. 

Incidentally a similar incident just last week when a light training aircraft of a private company had made an emergency landing on the beach in North Payagala on Dec. 22.

It was later reported that the aircraft had made the emergency landing due to a technical fault and that two persons were onboard and unharmed.