Sri Lanka: Seven killed, over 50 injured in van-school bus collision

Colombo: In an unfortunate incident, at least seven people have been killed while over 50 others, including school children, sustained injuries after a bus collided with a van in the Central hills of Sri Lanka. 

According to details, the ill-fated bus, carrying school children, was returning from an educational tour, and met with the accident at Radalla in Nanu Oaya and toppled over a precipice. 

Six passengers in the van along with a three-wheeler driver who got caught in the accident were among the dead. 

The injured have been rushed to Nuwaraeliya hospital.

President Ranil Wickremesinghe has instructed relevant officials to provide all necessary assistance to the students injured in the accident and if required, airlift those seriously injured to capital Colombo.

There is a significant rise in road accidents in Sri Lanka over the years and according to the WHO data in 2020, road traffic accident deaths were recorded at around 4,200 or 3.625 per cent of the total deaths in the island nation. 

In 2021, at least 2,414 deaths were reported from 22,319 road accidents.