At least 21 people were killed and 24 injured when a bus carrying pilgrims plunged into a ravine in Sri Lanka early Sunday. A senior transport official from the country provided this information.
The bus was traveling from the southern pilgrimage site of Kataragama toward the central city of Kurunegala. The distance between the two locations is approximately 250 kilometers.
The winding roads of the island nation of Sri Lanka are among the most dangerous in the world. Sunday’s accident is one of the most devastating incidents to occur in the country in decades.
Images from the accident site show that the roof and both sides of the bus were torn off, and more than half of the seats were detached from the floor. The overturned bus landed in a tea plantation.
Police reported that the bus was carrying more than 70 passengers, about 20 more than its capacity. It was a government-owned bus. It is believed that the driver lost control while traveling through the mountainous region of Kotmale in central Sri Lanka. The accident occurred just before dawn on Sunday.
A local police officer, speaking on condition of anonymity, told AFP, “Efforts are underway to determine whether there was a mechanical failure or if the driver had fallen asleep.”
Transport Deputy Minister Prasanna Gunasena told reporters at the accident site that the injured were quickly taken to two local hospitals.
He said, “21 people have died. Efforts are underway to identify the deceased.”
The minister further stated that the death toll could have been higher if local residents hadn’t quickly rescued passengers from the wreckage and taken them to the hospital. Police reported that currently 24 injured people are receiving treatment at two hospitals.
A survivor told a local journalist that he was in the front part of the bus and fortunately survived with minor injuries.
In a video, the individual says, “The bus was tilting to the left. When the driver was negotiating a turn, he lost control and the bus plunged into a deep ravine.”
On average, 3,000 people die in road accidents in Sri Lanka each year. Sri Lanka has some of the most hazardous roads in the world.
Sunday’s bus accident is one of the most devastating accidents in Sri Lanka’s recent history. Previously, in April 2005, a bus collided with a train while crossing a railway crossing in Polgahawela. In that incident, although the driver was slightly injured, 37 bus passengers were killed.
In March 2021, a privately owned bus fell into a ravine in Passara in eastern Sri Lanka, killing 13 passengers including the driver. The city of Passara is located approximately 100 kilometers from Sunday’s accident site.
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