The bodies of five of the victims were recovered after a group of around ten people were declared missing and suspected to have drowned in the Thelgamu Oya in Atanwala, Riverston, last evening, Police said.
According to the Police, the bodies of one child, two women and two men were found during the rescue mission.
While the initial rescue was conducted by residents and the Police, teams from the Sri Lanka Army Special Forces and the Sri Lanka Navy were later deployed in search of the missing people. The incident had occurred when a group that had arrived in a van to the location had proceeded to bathe in the river, police spokesperson SP Ruwan Gunasekara said.
The Laggala Police that carried out investigations stated that the victims had been swept away due to a sudden surge of water levels due to the heavy rains in the area.
The group has been identified as residents from Naththandiya and Negombo areas. One female member of the group, however, was able to survive the incident, Police sources maintained. While initial rescue operations were initiated by residents of the area, the Police say communication difficulties due to lack of mobile signals in the area hampered the rescue mission. The search for the other missing people continues.