Key Points

Around 16 were injured and hospitalised, according to police. A spokesperson for a local hospital said some of them are in critical condition, Xinhua News Agency reported.

Police said the accident occurred on Thursday night when a bus carrying a group of municipal employees, who were returning from a leisure trip, veered off the road and plunged down a ravine a few hundred meters deep.

Given the rough terrain, rescue efforts involved police, the army, the air force, the fire department and local residents, police said, adding that operations continued till around 4 am local time on Friday.

On August 30, one person was killed, with about 57 others being injured when a bus carrying pilgrims crashed in Pottuvil, in Sri Lanka's Eastern Province, the police said.

According to the police, the bus veered off the road and struck a culvert before coming to a stop. The victim was identified as a 74-year-old man.

The injured passengers were rushed to regional hospitals for treatment, authorities said.

Sri Lanka records frequent road accidents involving buses. Police data showed that in 2024, the country recorded 2,541 deaths from 2,403 fatal road accidents.

On August 27, three people, including two school students, were killed when a school van collided with a tipper truck in Kuliyapitiya, in Sri Lanka's North Western Province, police said.

13 others injured in the crash were hospitalised, according to police. Local media reported that the van's driver was also among the dead.

Police said further investigations were ongoing.

Earlier on August 16, one person was killed and about 22 others injured when two buses collided in Monaragala in Sri Lanka's Uva Province, police said.

The victim was the 32-year-old driver of one of the buses, according to police. The injured were admitted to a regional hospital for treatment.

- IANS