Sri Lanka, April 19 -- A total of 26 people have lost their lives in drowning incidents during the Sinhala and Tamil New Year period, police stated.

Among the victims were a private tuition teacher and an Advanced Level student who drowned last afternoon at the Nallachchiya Wewa in Thambuttegama. The duo had entered an irrigation canal around 3:30 p.m. when they were suddenly caught in a current and swept nearly 300 meters downstream.

Bystanders who were bathing nearby responded quickly to pull the two from the water and rushed them to the Thambuttegama Base Hospital. However, both were pronounced dead on admission, police noted.

One of the victims has been identified as a 29-year-old tuition teacher from Ikiriwewa. The other was an Ad...