Watch : Matara Defender-lorry collision death toll rises to 2, five injured

The death toll from the collision between a Defender vehicle and a lorry in Wellamadama, Matara this evening (19) rose to two.

Matara Police note that five others faced hospitalisation with injuries.

The collision occurred when a Defender vehicle travelling from Matara towards Tangalle collided with a cement transporting lorry travelling from the opposite direction.

The two individuals who died are Wedamulla Kankanamge Dinesh Udayanga (37), a resident of Wewahamanduwa, Matara, suspected to operate as the driver of the Defender vehicle, and S. M. V. Subhash (36), a resident of Hittatiya, Matara.

Four other individuals who travelled in the Defender vehicle, as well as the driver and assistant of the cement-loaded lorry, sustained injuries in the collision and faced admission to the Matara General Hospital. A hospital spokesperson noted that the condition of two among the injured remains serious.

According to the police, the Defender vehicle has been obtained on a rental basis, and the vehicle sustained severe damage due to the collision.