5 killed, 45 injured in Sri Lanka bus mishap

Colombo, July 20 (UNI) At least five passengers were killed and 45 injured, when their bus fell down a precipice in the Central Ratnapura district this morning, a senior police official said.

According to him, the mishap took place in the town of Yatiyantota in the Ratnapura district and the injured had been rushed to the nearby Ratnapura base hospital.

''A few critically wounded passengers had been brought to Colombo while the driver and the conductor of the bus have been taken into custody,'' Director Traffic Police Headquarters, SSP Lucky Peiris said over the phone.

He also said that a special police team had been sent to investigate the incident.

According to statistics, nearly 2000 people are killed in nearly 60,000 road accidents in Sri Lanka annually.

UNI XC SB ND1612