A bus transporting employees of a private rice mill in the Sinhapura area of Welikanda from Polonnaruwa overturned today (30) in the Muthuwella area of Welikanda. The Welikanda Police reported that the accident occurred when the bus ran off the road and overturned on a slope.
According to a spokesperson from Welikanda Hospital, four individuals who sustained serious injuries in the accident have been transferred to Polonnaruwa General Hospital for further treatment. The hospital treated and discharged several other employees with minor injuries.
Preliminary investigations by Welikanda duty station police inspector Pradeep Senaviratne attribute the cause of the accident to the driver’s high speed and careless driving. The bus, carrying approximately eighty employees, was reportedly traveling at a high speed when the incident took place.
A police team, led by Polonnaruwa Senior Superintendent of Police Nishan de Silva and Assistant Superintendent of Police Sudath Asmadala, is conducting further investigations into the accident.