Police have confirmed that the bodies of two schoolboys aged 13 and 14 from Ankumbura, Kandy, who had been reported missing since October 8, were discovered this morning (October 10) in the Victoria Reservoir.
According to police, the boys had gone missing while playing near the Mahaweli River, and it is suspected that they were swept away by the rising current. A search operation was carried out by police and local residents, but initial efforts failed to locate the children.
The bodies were eventually recovered from Haragama, approximately two kilometres from their residence in Thannekumbura.
The deceased have been identified as a Grade 9 student and a Grade 8 student attending two different schools in Kandy.
Investigations have revealed that on Wednesday afternoon, the boys had left home saying they were going to Digana to buy ornamental fish. Later, they were seen walking along a rocky area beneath the Thannekumbura bridge on the Mahaweli River.
A local fisherman, who was present at the scene, stated that he warned the boys not to enter the water, but they had replied that they could swim. He later noticed that the boys were no longer visible and assumed they had left. Shortly afterward, the water level rose due to heavy rainfall, which is believed to have led to the tragedy.
Police have launched further investigations into the incident.
