Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Independent UK
The Independent UK
National
Bharatha Mallawarachi

At least 21 passengers killed after bus skids off cliff in Sri Lanka

A passenger bus skidded off a cliff in Sri Lanka’s tea-growing hill country on Sunday, killing 21 people and injuring at least 14, an official said.

The accident occurred in the early hours of Sunday near the town of Kotmale, about 140km east of the capital Colombo in a mountainous area of central Sri Lanka, police said.

Deputy transport and highways minister Prasanna Gunasena told the media that 21 people died in the accident and 14 others were being treated in hospitals.

Local television showed the bus lying overturned at the bottom of a precipice while workers and others helped remove injured people from the rubble.

The driver was injured and among those admitted to hospital for treatment. At the time of the accident, nearly 50 people were traveling on the bus.

The bus was operated by a state-run company, police said.

Deadly bus accidents are common in Sri Lanka, especially in the mountainous regions, often due to reckless driving and poorly maintained and narrow roads.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.