Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) has assisted in the efforts to douse a fire that had erupted in a forest area in Nallathanniya, Maskeliya by deploying a Bell 412 helicopter with a Bambi bucket. 

The helicopter has been deployed on a request made by the Disaster Management Ministry from the SLAF. 

Upon the directives of the Defence Ministry, the SLAF had deployed the helicopter from the Ratmalana Air Force Base last evening. 

Using the Bambi bucket to obtain water from the Maskeliya Dam on 10 occasions, the fire has been successfully extinguished. (Newswire)

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A 28-year-old youth has been arrested for the robbery of a van valued at Rs.8.3 million in the Maskeliya Police Division. 

A probe was launched by the Crimes Investigation Unit of the Hatton Police on the vehicle reported stolen on 09 November.

The Police officials had apprehended a suspect from the Opewatte area in the Kahawatte Police Division on Saturday morning in connection to the robbery.

Interrogation of the suspect had led to the vehicle being found in the Vavuniya area, after which it was taken into Police custody.

The Crimes Investigation Unit of the Hatton Police is conducting further investigations. (Newswire)

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An 11-year-old boy was reported dead after a concrete cylinder that was to be inserted into the drainage of a school washroom fell onto the child in Maskeliya yesterday.

According to the Police, the child had sustained serious injuries from the accident that had occurred at a school in the Rosefield area in Maskeliya last afternoon. 

The child who is a resident of the Gartmore Estate area in Maskeliya succumbed to injuries after being admitted to the Maskeliya Hospital.

Investigations have revealed that the concrete cylinders had been placed near the washroom area and the child had climbed onto the cylinders.

At the time, the cylinders had moved throwing the child into a nearby wall on which he had sustained head injuries, while the cylinders had also fallen onto him.

The Police said five persons who had been tasked with transporting and unloading the cylinders have been arrested for recklessly placing the cylinders leading to a tragic accident. (NewsWire)

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The carcass of a leopard has been found at the Brownswick Tea Estate in Maskeliya. 

The Police said the body of the leopard was found at the estate last morning (Nov 29) following information received by the Maskeliya Police.

Investigations have revealed that the leopard had died after getting caught by a snare that had been set up by an individual. 

The Maskeliya Police and area Wildlife Officials are conducting investigations into the incident. (NewsWire)

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