A passenger bus on the Dayagama–Hatton route veered off the road and plunged about 25 feet into a precipice in the Battalgalla Estate area of Dickoya around 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday, killing one person and injuring around 20 others, police said.
NewsFirst reported one fatality and 17 injured admitted to Hatton-Dickoya Hospital. Ada Derana put the figure at “around 20” injured, including school students, and said several were in critical condition. The driver and conductor were among those hurt.
Hatton Police, who are investigating, said approximately 35 passengers were on board. According to officers at the scene, the bus attempted to give way to an oncoming vehicle on the narrow Hatton–Fordyce road and lost control, plunging into the precipice in the Wataragala Estate area.
The crash adds to a string of fatal accidents on Sri Lanka’s hill-country roads. The route from Dayagama through Hatton to Dickoya runs along steep tea-estate slopes with tight curves and limited shoulders.
Investigations are continuing.
