Seven persons were killed and 44 others injured when a bus plying from Jaffna to Colombo crashed into the rails of a bridge at Madurankuliya yesterday morning.
According to Mundalama Police sources, the accident had taken place when the bus was attempting to overtake a three wheeler near the bridge. Forty four passengers who were injured in the accident were rushed to the Puttalam, Chilaw and Mundalama Hospitals.
Traffic on the Colombo–Puttalam road came to a halt for several hours following the accident. It was reported that the majority of the injured were office employees on their way to Colombo. Police said that eight of the injured were admitted to the Chilaw Base Hospital and one of them was in a critical condition.