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All 11 people aboard a private airplane that crashed at sea off central Florida survived the wreck and were rescued from their lifeboat hours later by a U.S. Air Force Reserve team, U.S. Coast Guard and Air Force officials said on Wednesday.

“For all those people to survive is pretty miraculous,” Air Force Major Elizabeth Piowaty, commander of one of the aircraft involved in the rescue, told reporters at a news briefing a day after Tuesday’s crash.

The ill-fated plane, a twin-engine turboprop flying from the Bahamas with 11 adults on board, ⁠went down in the Atlantic about 80 miles (129 km) off Melbourne, Florida, activating an emergency locator signal that was picked up by the Coast Guard.

Piowaty’s HC-130J Combat King II, a plane designed for combat search and rescue, was already airborne on a training mission when the search was initiated, and her crew immediately joined the operation, according to the Coast Guard.

The major said her team spotted the life raft as a thunderstorm was approaching and dropped a package of food, water and additional flotation to sustain the survivors until rescuers could reach them in the water.

By then the survivors “had already been in the raft for about five hours, and we could tell ⁠just by looking at them they were in distress, physically, mentally, emotionally,” Air Force Captain Rory Whipple, one of the pararescuers, recalled at the briefing.

The survivors ultimately were hoisted to safety by the crew of a hovering rescue helicopter, dispatched from the Air Force Reserve’s 920th Rescue Wing from a base near Melbourne, and were flown to Melbourne Orlando International ⁠Airport for medical attention, officials said.

Whipple said the crew managed to get all 11 survivors into the helicopter with nine hoists, completing the rescue with just five minutes of fuel left before they would have reached the point of needing to ⁠refuel mid-air or land immediately.

Air Force and Coast Guard officials said they had no immediate information about the extent of injuries and medical conditions of the survivors.

Bahamian authorities were investigating the cause of the crash, but ⁠the aircraft was reported to have experienced engine failure, according to the Coast Guard. The agency said the plane reportedly left Marsh Harbour in the Bahamas and was headed for Freeport on Grand Bahama Island, a distance of about 100 miles.

Source: Reuters

Water levels in several major river basins across Sri Lanka have begun to recede following reduced rainfall over the past 24 hours, according to the Irrigation Department.

Director of the Hydrology and Disaster Management Division, L.S. Sooriyabandara, stated that water levels in the Nilwala Ganga, Gin Ganga, Kalu Ganga, and Attanagalu Oya basins are gradually decreasing, with most areas showing a downward trend.

However, he noted that water levels remain high at Millakanda on the Kalu Ganga, marking one of the few exceptions amid the overall improvement.

Despite the easing situation, officials cautioned that the progress may be temporary, as the Department of Meteorology has forecast further rainfall in the coming days.

Meanwhile, reservoir conditions remain closely monitored, with 18 of the country’s 73 major reservoirs currently spilling water. In addition, 18 medium-sized reservoirs are also discharging excess water, reflecting the continued strain on water management systems even as river levels show signs of decline.

The Department of Meteorology has reported intense rainfall across several parts of the country over the past 22 hours, with Kesbewa recording the highest amount at 204 millimetres.

According to the Met. Department, Veyangoda in the Gampaha District received 145.5mm of rain, while Wathupitiwala recorded 105.5mm during the same period. In the Ratnapura District, Gilimale saw 121mm of rainfall.

Meanwhile, Bandaragama in the Kalutara District recorded 102.5mm, with Horana closely following at 101.5mm, reflecting widespread wet conditions across the Western and surrounding regions.

Authorities have also issued an advisory warning of continued heavy rainfall affecting the Western, Sabaragamuwa, North Western, Northern, and North Central provinces, along with the Trincomalee, Galle, and Matara districts.

The Department further cautioned that some areas in the Western and Sabaragamuwa provinces, as well as Puttalam, Galle, and Matara districts, could experience very heavy rainfall exceeding 200mm during the day.

Officials attributed the persistent wet weather to a low-pressure system currently located near Sri Lanka, which continues to influence prevailing conditions.

In addition, fairly heavy rainfall of around 100mm is expected in parts of the Northern and North Central provinces, as well as in Trincomalee and Kurunegala districts, as the system continues to bring widespread showers across the island.

A red warning for heavy rains has been issued by the Department of Meteorology, with the advisory coming into effect at 9.30 a.m. today (14) and remaining valid until 8.30 a.m. tomorrow (15).

According to the Department, a low-pressure area located northeast of Sri Lanka continues to persist. It is expected to move away from the island and gradually weaken over the next 36 hours.

The warning highlights the likelihood of heavy showers exceeding 100mm in several areas, including the Western Province, Sabaragamuwa Province, and North Western Province. Similar intense rainfall is also expected in the districts of Kandy, Nuwara Eliya, Galle, and Matara.

Authorities have urged the public to take adequate precautions to minimize possible damage caused by heavy rain, strong winds, and lightning during thundershowers.

Ousmand Gunasekara, alias ‘Gampaha Ousmand’, has been arrested by the Colombo Crime Division (CCD) for allegedly aiding and abetting the killing of notorious underworld figure and organised criminal Sanjeewa Kumara Samararatne, alias ‘Ganemulla Sanjeewa’, and for allegedly supplying firearms used to carry out the murder.

“Ganemulla Sanjeewa” was shot dead inside the Colombo No. 05 Magistrate’s Court inside the Aluthkade Courts Complex by an individual disguised as an attorney while he was being produced before the court by prison officials on February 19, 2025.

Police stated that the suspect was arrested last night (13) in the Sri Bodhi Road area in Gampaha based on information obtained from suspects currently held under detention orders in connection with the murder.

Investigations have revealed that the murder plot had allegedly been orchestrated in collaboration with organised criminals operating overseas, and that the suspect had aided the crime by providing the firearms required to carry out the killing.

Police further stated that a foreign-manufactured repeater shotgun, two magazines and 10 rounds of ammunition were recovered from the suspect’s possession at the time of his arrest.

The arrested suspect has been identified as a 69-year-old resident of Gampaha.

Further investigations into the murder are being conducted by the Colombo Crime Division (CCD).

(Adaderana.lk)

A collision involving a school transport bus and a Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB) bus was reported this morning (13) along the Colombo–Kataragama main road in Dikwella, near the Polgahamullla private garment factory.

According to reports, the school transport bus carrying schoolchildren was travelling from Hambantota towards Ambalantota when the accident occurred. The SLTB bus was reportedly heading in the direction of Kataragama at the time of the collision.

The incident caused concern among residents and motorists travelling through the busy roadway during the morning hours.

Authorities stated that further information regarding injuries and the extent of property damage has not yet been confirmed.

Investigations into the accident are ongoing.

A student of a leading government school in Eppawala has allegedly attacked five fellow students with a sharp weapon, leaving them injured and prompting a police investigation into the incident.

The injured students were admitted to the Eppawala Divisional Hospital. Hospital sources confirmed that their condition is not critical.

All five victims are Grade 12 students following the Advanced Level Technology stream at the same school. Police stated that the suspect is also a Grade 12 student from the Science stream of the same institution.

According to sources, the incident is believed to have stemmed from a dispute that occurred a few days earlier between the suspect and one of the injured students. It is reported that a subsequent confrontation led to an act of retaliation involving the use of a sharp weapon.

Investigations further suggest that although the suspect targeted one student, four others were injured when they attempted to intervene during the incident.

The student accused of bringing the weapon onto the school premises and injuring the five students has been arrested by Eppawala Police along with the weapon used in the attack, according to Ada Derana reporter.

Police in Eppawala continue to conduct further investigations into the incident.