Police say initial investigations into the fatal bus accident in Ella indicate that excessive speed and loss of control led to the tragedy.
However, a survivor recounted a different story, telling the media that the bus driver had complained of brake failure shortly before the crash.
“At a bend near the waterfall, he said there were no brakes. I was sitting on the bonnet and talking. When the driver said that, the conductor laughed. Someone next to him also laughed, saying, ‘don’t lie.’ At the next bend, he repeated that there were no brakes. Then we realized the brakes had failed. A vehicle came along at that moment, and the bus went downhill after hitting it. At that time, I thought it was over,” the survivor recalled.
“I woke up to the sound of a small child crying after the bus plunged. I tried to get up with the child and climb out. Then I screamed, and people came,” he added.
Two individuals who rushed to rescue passengers were also injured and are receiving hospital treatment.
Meanwhile, the Department of Motor Traffic (DMT) has launched a special inquiry into the incident. Commissioner General Kamal Amarasinghe confirmed that two officials, including the Badulla District Chief Motor Vehicle Inspector, have been dispatched to the crash site. A preliminary report is expected soon.
According to Deputy Minister of Local Government Ruwan Senarath, 15 people — including Tangalle Urban Council Secretary T.W.K. Rupasena, 12 council employees, two children, and the bus driver — lost their lives in the accident. The Badulla Teaching Hospital confirmed that the children and the driver were among the deceased.
The bus, carrying council employees and their families returning from a trip, veered off the Ella–Wellawaya main road near the 24th kilometre post at around 9:00 p.m. last night (04). It first collided with an oncoming SUV and the roadside iron fence before plunging nearly 1,000 feet into a ravine.
