10 killed in Sri Lankan bus accident

Ten people were killed and many others were injured following a bus accident in central Sri Lanka, the police said on Tuesday. Police spokesman Ajith Rohana said that the bus had veered off the road in poor weather conditions in the central Bandarawala hills and went down a precipice overnight. Rescue operations were hampered by heavy rain and poor visibility and the assistance of the military was also sought. Rohana said that initially five people were found dead but the death toll rose to 10 by Tuesday morning while 18 others were receiving treatment in hospital. Among those killed are 5 men and 5 women. The passenger bus was broken into pieces after it came to a halt down the slope and operations were continuing to search through the debris. The police spokesman said that an investigation had been launched to verify the circumstances which led to the deadly accident. Sri Lanka has a long history of bus accidents mostly caused by speeding or careless driving.