A bus carrying students from Sir John Kotelawala University on a field trip overturned on the Badulla-Mahiyanganaya road early Wednesday morning, resulting in the deaths of two students and injuries to 39 others.
According to hospital sources, two students from the university’s southern campus succumbed to their injuries, while eight others are in intensive care, with five in critical condition, at Badulla Hospital.
The accident occurred around 8 a.m. when the bus reportedly veered off the road and overturned. Badulla Police and officers from the Badulla Municipal Council Fire Department conducted an intensive rescue operation, working for several hours to free the injured students from the wreckage.
The students were on a university field trip at the time, traveling on a bus owned by Sir John Kotelawala University. The bus was en route from Pelgahathenna in Passara to Randenigala when the crash occurred. Preliminary reports indicate that brake failure may have caused the driver to lose control, although the exact cause is still under investigation.
Authorities are continuing their inquiries into the incident.
