Sri Lanka bus crash leaves 15 dead
A bus has veered off a road and plunged down a precipice in a mountainous region in Sri Lanka, killing 15 people and injuring 16 others.
The accident occurred near the town of Wellawaya, about 174 miles east of the capital Colombo, on Thursday night. The bus fell into a roughly 1,000ft precipice, police spokesman Fredrick Wootler said.
The accident killed 15 people and wounded 16, including five children.
Mr Wootler said an initial police investigation revealed that the driver was travelling at high speed and lost control, crashing with another vehicle and into guardrails before toppling off the cliff.
Local television showed footage of the severely damaged bus lying at the bottom of the precipice while soldiers were trying to remove the wreckage.
Deadly bus accidents are common in Sri Lanka, especially in the mountainous regions, often due to reckless driving and poorly maintained and narrow roads.
