The tragedy took place on Sunday just before dawn, when the bus passed through the mountainous area in the region Kotmal. The car left the pilgrimage city Kataragama and headed towards the island located in the central part of the island Coronal. He had about 250 km to travel.
There were about 75 people on board – according to the police it was 20 more than the vehicle capacity. At some point, the bus unexpectedly pulled off the track of the road and He fell from the slope of the mountain.
Tragedy on Sri Lanka. A bus with pilgrims fell into the abyss
Initially, the police reported about 15 victims, soon after the media reported that the balance increased to 21. Besides At least 30 people was injured. A dozen or so people were transported to hospitals.
The services are investigating to indicate the causes of the tragedy. – We are trying to determine if it was Mechanical failure or the driver fell asleep behind the wheel – a local police officer passed in an interview with AFP.
The bus was served by a state transport company.
Although about three thousand fatal road accidents annually, the Sunday tragedy was recorded in Sri Lanka The largest of its kind since 2005.When the train hit the bus, killing 37 passengers.
Source: AFP, Deccan Chronicle