Passenger bus falls 1,000 feet off cliff in Sri Lanka, killing 15

A passenger bus carrying over thirty people skidded off a cliff in Sri Lanka's Badulla District of Uva Province, killing 15 people and wounding 16, including five children, said police officials on Friday (Sept 5).

The passengers were on a pleasure trip from the southern town of Tangalle when their bus skidded off the cliff in the Ella town, about 280 kilometers (174 miles) east of the capital Colombo, around 9 pm local time on Thursday, reported news agency PTI.

According to preliminary investigations, the driver was driving at a high speed and lost control of it, hitting another vehicle and then falling off the cliff.

The dead include nine women, who worked with the Tangalle Urban Council, reported PTI. Several injured are in critical condition and admitted to the Badulla Teaching Hospital.

Rescue efforts were carried out by military, police, disaster management teams, and residents.