A 24-year-old youth was killed when an elevator servicing ‘Amuseum’, a popular nightclub in Colombo suffered a technical malfunction and crashed in the early hours of yesterday. The deceased was later identified as Kokila Sammandaperuma, a rugby player and current prop forward of the Ceylonese Rugby & Football Club (CR & FC).
According to police sources, the incident had occurred around 1.50 am at Green Lanka Towers, Nawam Mawatha, Colombo 2 where the privately owned nightclub is on the ninth floor of the building.
Police Spokesman SP Ruwan Gunasekara said there were three people who had boarded the elevator from the basement and were going to the ninth floor when it encountered a technical glitch resulting in it crashing down to the basement. “The three people were admitted to the National Hospital where one victim was pronounced dead on admission,” he said.
According to a witness, there had been a power failure and the elevator stalled. “Sammandaperuma had tried to open the doors and had almost managed to step out when power was restored,” she said, adding that the elevator had then begun functioning and resulted in the accident. Of the two people injured one was discharged following treatment in hospital while the other person continues to receive treatment.
Sammandaperuma, an old boy of Wesley College captained the rugby team in 2012.
He represented the CR & FC from the beginning of his professional rugby career and is well known in the Rugby circles. He is the youngest brother of popular Rugby player, Shane Sammandaperuma who represented and captained the CR & FC. Slave Island police are conducting investigations into the incident.