The incident occurred when five school students were travelling on a makeshift raft across a tank to collect flowers. Police said the raft suddenly capsized, throwing all five children into the water.
One student was rescued at the scene, while the remaining four were admitted to Wanathawilluwa Hospital. Three of the students, who were in critical condition, were later transferred to Puttalam Hospital, where they were pronounced dead.
The fourth critically injured student, who had also been receiving treatment, later passed away, bringing the total number of fatalities to four.
Authorities have launched an investigation into the incident. The tragedy has left the local community in mourning as concerns grow over the safety of children using rafts on inland water bodies.
