A schoolgirl and a lorry assistant have died in a fatal road accident that occurred this afternoon (28) in Alayapattuwa along the Horowpothana –Kahatagasdigiliya main road, according to Horowpothana Police.

The victims have been identified as a 10-year-old student of the Morakewa Vidyalaya in Horowpothana and a 27-year-old lorry assistant.

The accident took place at approximately 1:20 p.m. near a bridge about 200 meters towards Kahatagasdigiliya from the Alayapattuwa junction, police noted.

The lorry was transporting glass from Vavuniya to Anuradhapura when the driver reportedly fell asleep at the wheel. As a result, the vehicle veered off the road and crashed into the protective fence of the nearby bridge.

The girl, who was returning home after school, sustained serious injuries and passed away after being admitted to the hospital.

Three individuals were reportedly traveling in the lorry at the time of the accident. The lorry assistant died at the scene. The driver and another passenger were seriously injured and were initially admitted to the Horowpothana Hospital. They were later transferred to the Anuradhapura Hospital for further treatment, according to a hospital spokesperson.

The bodies of the deceased girl and the lorry assistant are currently being kept at the morgue of the Horowpothana Hospital.

Further investigations into the accident are being carried out by officers of the Horowpothana Police Traffic Division and Special Task Force personnel.