Police have confirmed that the driver of the jeep involved in the fatal collision with a bus in Ella has been arrested.
The accident took place last night (04th) around 9:00 p.m. when a bus heading towards Wellawaya collided with an oncoming jeep and the roadside iron fence between the 23rd and 24th kilometre posts in the Ella Police Division. The bus then plunged nearly 1,000 feet down a precipice.
The bus, carrying 30 passengers including its driver, was returning from a trip to Tangalle, according to police. Six men, including the bus driver, and nine women were killed in the crash.
Among the injured were six men, five women, three boys, and two girls, all of whom were admitted to the Badulla Hospital. Two individuals who joined rescue efforts were also hospitalized with injuries.
The victims’ bodies have been placed at the morgues of Diyatalawa, Badulla, and Bandarawela hospitals. Ella Police have launched further investigations into the incident.
