At least eight individuals, including six children, are reported missing, while two have been rescued after a tractor they were traveling on was swept away by floodwaters in Karaitivu, Ampara District, earlier today (26).
According to police, when the incident occurred, the vehicle was carrying 13 people—11 boys, the driver, and an assistant. Five children have been successfully rescued so far.
En route from Ninthavur to Sammanthurai, the tractor overturned near a bridge close to the Karaitivu bus stand due to strong flood currents. The group, consisting of students, was returning home after attending classes at a Madrasa school in Ninthavur.
The missing children, aged between 12 and 16, are residents of Sammanthurai. Police and local residents have launched a search operation to find those still unaccounted for.
