Yesterday morning, tragedy struck when four young men in their early 20s from the Ampara District drowned while bathing at Ella Waterfall in Wellawaya. The group of 10 youth had visited the waterfall as part of a trip. The victims have been identified as A. Anas, M.M.M. Nowfees, M.L.M. Zuhry, and A.M. Afzal, all from villages near Kalmunai.
Sadly, Ella Waterfall has become a notorious death trap for both local and foreign tourists, with many drowning at the foot of the waterfall. Despite the existence of a Pradeshiya Saba, a Divisional Secretariat, and a separate Ministry for Disaster Management, no safety measures have been implemented to protect visitors to the area.