Colombo, September 5: At least 15 people were killed and another 15 injured after a passenger bus plunged over 1,000 feet into a gorge in Sri Lanka’s Badulla District on Thursday night, police confirmed on Friday.
The accident occurred near Ella town around 9 pm local time. According to officials, the bus carrying more than 30 passengers was returning from a pleasure trip from the southern town of Tangalle when it collided with an oncoming jeep, crashed through the roadside railing, and tumbled down the precipice.
Emergency teams rushed to the scene, rescuing survivors and transporting the injured to nearby hospitals. Several passengers remain in critical condition, officials said.
Authorities have launched an investigation into the cause of the accident. Preliminary reports suggest speeding may have been a factor.