(COLOMBO, LANKAPUVATH) –The death toll of Monday’s bus accident in Badulla has risen to 12, police said adding that 44 people had been injured when the bus fell off a precipice.
The passenger bus, belonging to the Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB), skidded off the road and plunged about 200 meters down a precipice at the 6th Mile Post on Passara-Madolsima Road.
It is believed that the bus had fallen off the precipice while attempting make way for another vehicle to pass it.
Four police officers are among the injured, the police said. Among the injured currently receiving treatment at the Badulla General Hospital are 16 women, 24 men and several children. Six of them are in critical condition, according to Dr. Ranjith Amarakoon, Deputy Superintendent of the Badulla Hospital.
Postmortems of the deceased victims are to be carried out at the Badulla General Hospital today (07). Two school children are among the dead.
The Government will bear all funeral expenses of the deceased victims.
Meanwhile, the Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB) will conduct a special investigation into the accident. Chairman of the Sri Lanka Transport Board Kingsley Ranawaka said that an inquiry will be conducted at the site of the accident.
The Passara Police and the SLTB have launched an investigation into the incident.
