Fourteen people were injured when a private bus veered off the A9 road and struck a tree in the Galkulama area of Anuradhapura early on Wednesday morning, the Daily Mirror reported.
The crash occurred within the Thirappane Police Division. All 14 — twelve men and two women — were admitted to the Anuradhapura Teaching Hospital. Hiru News reported that two of the injured remain in critical condition.
Who was on board
The bus was carrying employees of a private company returning to Anuradhapura after attending an event in the Narammala area, according to Hiru. The Daily Mirror reports the vehicle as travelling from Nikaweratiya to Anuradhapura.
These are not competing accounts. Narammala and Nikaweratiya are both in the Kurunegala District and lie on the route north towards Anuradhapura; one outlet describes the purpose of the journey, the other the leg the bus was on when it crashed.
The investigation
Police have taken the bus driver into custody, the Daily Mirror reports. Hiru reports that police suspect the driver fell asleep at the wheel.
The traffic division of the Thirappane Police is conducting further investigations to establish the circumstances of the crash.
Not reported
Neither filing gives the time of the crash beyond “early this morning”, names the bus operator, or says how many people were on board in total — only that 14 were injured. Neither reports the nature of the injuries to the two passengers described as critical, or names the private company whose employees were travelling.
No report says whether the driver has been produced before a court or on what basis he was arrested, whether the bus held a valid route permit or was on hire, or whether road conditions at the site contributed. The driver’s own account is not reported.
Sources: Hiru News, Daily Mirror.
