The driver of the SUV vehicle involved in the collision with a bus in Ella has been arrested, police confirmed.
The accident occurred last evening (04) at around 9:00 p.m., when a bus travelling towards Wellawaya collided with an oncoming jeep and the road’s iron fence between the 23rd and 24th Km Post in the Ella Police Division, before plunging into a 1,000-foot precipice.
The bus was carrying a total of 30 passengers, including its driver, police said.
Six men, including the bus driver, and nine women died in the accident. Among the injured, six men, five women, three boys, and two girls have been admitted to Badulla Hospital for treatment.
In addition, two individuals who assisted in rescuing the passengers were also admitted to the hospital with injuries.
Preliminary investigations indicate that the group had been returning from a trip in the Ella area at the time of the accident, police said.
The bodies have been placed at the morgues of Diyatalawa, Badulla, and Bandarawela hospitals.
Ella Police are conducting further investigations into the incident.
