Overview

• The bus fell more than 300 meters near the Wellawaya/Badulla area on a mountainous route in southeastern Sri Lanka.
• Authorities say 16 people were injured, including five children, and were taken to Badulla General Hospital.
• Some survivors are in critical condition, and officials caution the death toll could change.
• A preliminary police account indicates the driver lost control at high speed, struck a car and guardrails, and then plunged into a ravine.
• The disaster underscores persistent road-safety risks on Sri Lanka’s mountain roads, with WHO estimating about 3,000 traffic deaths in 2021.