ALBAWABA - A senior transport official announced that a bus transporting dozens of Buddhist pilgrims plummeted into a cliff in Sri Lanka today, leaving at least 21 killed and 24 others wounded, AFP reported.
According to the government official, the roof and side panels of the vehicle, which was carrying 70 people, were destroyed, and more than half the seats came out of their place. The incident took place on May 11.
The bus was heading through the central hilly region of Kotmale before it crashed, police said, adding that the bus should be carrying only 50 people, but it had 70 passengers inside.
"We are trying to establish whether it was a mechanical failure or if the driver fell asleep at the wheel," a local police official told AFP.
On the other hand, Deputy Transport Minister Prasanna Gunasena visited the scene of the accident and confirmed that the injured people were hospitalized.
"Twenty-one have died and we are trying to identify the victims," the Deputy Transport Minister announced in a statement to the media.
