ECONOMYNEXT – Sri Lanka police on Sunday said a person died near President Gotabya Rajapaksa’s residences is believed to be intoxicated while he fell from a high-voltage power line with a transformer.
Sources close to the area, however, have said the person had climbed a power post in the area to protest against the power cuts and fell down before taken to hospital.
The Police Spokesman Nihal Thalduwa said the man died on admission to Kalubowila hospital after falling from a high-voltage power line with a transformer,
“The 53 years old male has been identified as…..an electrician by profession. The police suspect the person had been intoxicated during the incident,” Thalduwa said on Sunday.
The death comes as people deified President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s curfew order under an Emergency Law and came for street protests in several parts of the country on Sunday amid social media ban, demanding the president to step down after his failure to address the economic crisis.
People started street protest after the current government failed to ensure the supply of essentials including cooking gas, fuel, and milk powder due to severe shortage of dollars, which also has led to extended power cuts as long as 13 ours in a day.
On Thursday, hundreds of protesters attempted to breach the barricade to enter President’s private house in the same area on Thursday before police used tear gas and water cannons to disperse the crowd.
Thalduwa said the body is in Kalubowila hospital mortuary and further investigations are being carried out by the Mirihana Police. (Colombo/ April 03/2022)
