A total of ten children have been injured after a bus carrying students on an educational excursion collided with a train at a railway crossing in Koggala within the Habaraduwa Police Division this afternoon (25), police said.
The accident occurred near the Martin Wickramasinghe Memorial Museum in Koggala, when the rear section of the bus was struck by a train travelling from Beliatta to Maradana.
According to preliminary investigations, the children were returning to Kottawa after visiting the Martin Wickramasinghe Memorial Museum, accompanied by tuition class teachers and parents.
Investigations have revealed that approximately 61 people were on board the bus at the time of the accident, including 41 children, 14 tuition class teachers and six parents.
The injured children, aged 14 and 15, were admitted to several hospitals, including Galle National Hospital and Unawatuna Hospital, for treatment.
The railway crossing where the accident occurred is reportedly not equipped with safety gates and operates using light signals and an alarm system.
Police have arrested the 40-year-old bus driver and the 21-year-old conductor in connection with the accident.
The Habaraduwa Police are conducting further investigations into the incident.
