The incident occurred in the early hours, around 140 kilometers east of the capital, Colombo. According to police, the bus veered off a narrow mountain road and fell into a deep ravine in the tea-growing region of central Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka’s Deputy Minister of Transport and Highways, Prasanna Gunasena, confirmed the death toll and stated that medical teams are doing their best to treat the injured. He also emphasized the need for urgent safety reforms in public transport.
Footage from local television stations showed the overturned bus at the bottom of the cliff. Emergency workers and civilians were seen rescuing passengers and pulling them from the wreckage. The injured, including the driver, were quickly taken to nearby hospitals.
Officials said the bus was operated by a government-run transport company and was carrying nearly 50 passengers at the time of the crash. Investigations are ongoing, but early reports suggest speeding and dangerous road conditions may have caused the accident.
Deadly bus crashes are unfortunately common in Sri Lanka’s hilly regions. Poorly maintained vehicles, reckless driving, and narrow, winding roads often lead to such devastating incidents. Authorities are now under pressure to improve road safety standards in the region.