A tragic accident occurred yesterday (21) around 6:00 p.m. on the Badulla-Mahiyanganaya main road in the Dunhinda area, resulting in the deaths of three individuals and injuries to 34 others when a bus carrying pilgrims overturned after colliding with an electric pole.
The bus, which was transporting a group of devotees from Badulla to Anuradhapura, lost control and overturned at the 4th pillar near Dunhinda. The passengers, residents of the Pahalagama area in Thambuttegama, Anuradhapura, had earlier visited the historic Muthiyangana Raja Maha Viharaya in Badulla and were returning home when the incident took place.
Medical personnel from the Badulla Teaching Hospital responded swiftly to the emergency. Upon receiving the alert, doctors and hospital staff rushed to the scene, providing immediate assistance and transporting the injured to the hospital for treatment.
Following the incident, both the bus driver and his assistant were arrested by Badulla Police. Preliminary investigations have revealed that the assistant was at the wheel at the time of the accident.
Badulla Police have launched a full investigation to determine the circumstances leading to the crash.
