03 teens dead after drowning in Buttala

COLOMBO (News 1st) Three teenagers died after they drowned in the Katugaha-Galle Wewa in Buttala, on Saturday (14) evening.

Sri Lanka Police said the three victims were below the age of 20 and they are residents of Moneragala.

According a 2020 report on Drowning Prevention in Sri Lanka, the Western province had the highest number of drowning deaths of 168, from 2016 to 2018.

The report jointly prepared by Sri Lanka Life Saving, Life Saving Victoria in Australia and the Australian High Commission in Sri Lanka notes, between 2016-18, males were 3.5 times more likely to drown than females.

According to locations, canals were the top local on for drowning incidents accounting for 22% of all deaths in 2016-18.

This was followed by sea which is at 21% which includes beach and ocean; and wells which is 18%.

The drowning rate for Sri Lanka averaged over three years from 2016-2018 was 3.5 deaths per 100,000 people.

Sri Lanka had a higher drowning rate across the 15-24 years, 45-64 years and over 65 years age groups when compared to the average drowning rate in both high-income countries and low- and middle-income countries.