The Galnewa Police have arrested a 26‑year‑old resident of Sevanagala on suspicion of targeting schoolchildren with cannabis‑mixed madana modaka.

According to the Police, the arrest was made yesterday (21) during a raid in Galnewa town, where officers seized 27.250 kilos of the substance. 

The suspect was taken into custody and presented to the Galnewa Police Station.

Police said the man had been operating a medical shop and is suspected of distributing the drug‑laced sweets to schoolchildren. 

Further investigations are underway. (Newswire)

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Three children have been injured after a van transporting school children collided with a Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB) bus today (30). 

According to reports, the accident occurred on Vauxhall Street in Colombo 02 this morning.

The driver of the van and three schoolchildren are reported to be injured in the accident and have been hospitalised. (Newswire/ Image – Accident1st)

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The Ministry of Health reports that schoolchildren are currently experiencing certain forms of psychological distress due to various societal factors.

Acting Director of the Mental Health Directorate, Dr. Lakmini Magodarathna, stated that this was revealed through a survey conducted last year.

“In 2024, a school health survey was conducted in Sri Lanka. When we examined the data of our children, we found that 22.4% of students felt lonely. Among children aged 13 to 17, 11.9% said they had difficulty sleeping due to emotional distress. Around 18% showed symptoms of depression. About 7.5% had no close friends. And 25% of children said they had no one to talk to about their inner problems. That means 75% of children lack a close confidant. It makes us wonder—can this really be happening in Sri Lanka? It seems our children are under immense pressure. And adults may be experiencing similar stress. Various social factors and tensions can contribute to this,” she said, addressing a media briefing organized by the Health Promotion Bureau.

Also addressing the media briefing, Psychiatrist Dr. Sajeeva Amarasinghe from the National Institute of Mental Health revealed that, on average, eight suicides occur daily in Sri Lanka, at present. 

“In 1996, Sri Lanka ranked second in the world for suicide rates—47 per 100,000 people. Since then, with decisions made in collaboration with the Presidential Commission, the rate has significantly declined. Now it stands at 15 per 100,000, with about 3,500 suicides annually. In the past two to three years, the numbers haven’t increased further. On average, eight suicides occur daily. Only the most publicized cases reach the media. Many others go unreported. While the overall suicide rate hasn’t changed drastically, recent suicides have been emotionally charged. However, the media no longer reports such incidents as frequently as it did in the past. That’s a major step forward,” he said. (Newswire)

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Fifteen (15) school children and three parents have been injured in an accident reported on the Horana – Ratnapura Road this morning.

According to the Police, the accident occurred between 07 and 07.30, during which the children had been travelling in a private vehicle.

The children and parents had been injured when their vehicle had collided with a bus. 

The injured group has been admitted to the Horana and Ingiriya Hospitals. (Newswire)

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A three-wheeler driven by a schoolboy had toppled over near Ginigathhena Town along the Ginigathhena – Nawalapitiya main road yesterday, injuring three other schoolchildren who were in the passenger seat.

The Ginigathhena Police said the students who had sustained serious injuries had been admitted to the Nawalapitiya District General Hospital following the accident.

The injured persons are Grade 12 students of the Kadawala Tamil Maha Vidyalaya in Ginigathhena.

It is reported that the student driving the three-wheeler had attempted to overtake a van recklessly and had toppled over missing colliding with a private bus plying in the opposite direction. 

The three students travelling in the passenger seat of the three-wheeler had been thrown out onto the main road as the three-wheeler had toppled over.

The private bus plying in the opposite direction had swerved and crashed onto the wall of a state building to prevent running over the three children who had gotten thrown onto the main road. 

No passengers on the bus were injured in the incident. (Newswire/ Image – Accident1st)

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A financial scam targeting parents of schoolchildren has been reported from several parts of Sri Lanka. 

According to Daily News, the Sri Lanka Police has launched an investigation into the scam following complaints of several incidents. 

It is reported that the gang posing as school authorities has been contacting parents claiming that their child is severely ill and in need of treatment for which they are required to immediately deposit cash.

The father of a child from a reputed school in Colombo had received a similar call, but as a lawyer, he had verified with the school authorities after which it was found to be a scam. 

An individual working in a bank in Kurunegala received a similar phone call and rushed to the hospital, but was prevented from depositing the money after his colleague had verified with the school authorities and identified the scam.

The father of a student studying in another leading boys’ school in Kurunegala had also received a similar call but had sent the child’s grandfather to the school where the authorities had assured the child was well and in class, revealing the scam. 

Investigations have found that some parents had deposited money to the scammers due to failing to verify the safety of their children.

Meanwhile, it was found that the scammers had broken into and robbed the houses of parents who had rushed to the hospitals after being deceived by the scammers. 

The Police have requested the public not to fall victim to such scams and to verify the details before acting on the false information. (NewsWire)

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Several school children have been affected after inhaling tear gas fired by the Police to disperse a protest in Colombo today.

The Colombo University Students Union engaged in a protest march today objecting to the Police firing tear gas inside the university premises to disperse a protest by the Inter-University Students Federation yesterday (07).

The Police fired tear gas and water cannon to disperse the protesters today as well after they had entered Cambridge Place, which is surrounded by schools.

However, several young school children had fallen victim to the tear gas attack by the Police near Cambridge Place in Colombo.

The school children were seen coughing and in severe discomfort due to being in the midst of the tear gas attack and were rushed back inside a nearby school. (NewsWire)

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