Two children dead after falling into clay pit, mother dies trying to save them

COLOMBO (News1st); A 42-year-old mother, her daughter, and another child died after accidentally falling into a flooded clay pit in Halpewila, Katana.

According to reports, the trio had visited plantations in the area to gather plants for cooking and met with the untimely tragedy. Hampewila is known for clay mining and had a sizeable number of abandoned large and small clay pits. Reports suggest that the recent heavy rains had resulted in the adjacent waterway breaking its banks and flooding these clay pits. It is believed, the deceased was not aware that one pit close to the plantation was flooded. Reports said a 10-year-old boy first fell into the pit and the mother and her daughter had jumped in to save him. Unfortunately, the trio did not return to the surface alive.