A 44-year-old man committed suicide by hanging after killing his two children in the same manner, Weligama police said yesterday.

N. H. Indika of Henwala, Weligama had hanged his two children and himself with a rope tied to the roof, Police said.

The deceased children were 10-year-old Kavindi Sudarika and five-year-old Pasin Mithsara.

According to police the residents in the area had noticed that the lights of the house were still on in the morning and when they peeped through a fanlight they had seen the three bodies hanging.

Police said that according to residents the father, who was a Mason, was mentally depressed as his wife had left him 11 months ago he was finding it difficult to bring up the family without her.