Three buses collide in Sri Lanka, killing five and injuring more than 50

Three buses collided on the A9 highway near Rambewa in Sri Lanka's Anuradhapura district on Tuesday morning (November 10), killing five people and injuring more than 50, police said. The dead included three men and a woman, whose bodies were taken to Rambewa Hospital; the injured were taken to hospitals in Anuradhapura and Medawachchiya.

Overtaking bus hit oncoming bus head-on

According to the police media spokesman, the crash happened at about 10:30 a.m. on the Medawachchiya–Rambewa stretch, near the Rambewa–Weli Oya junction. A Sri Lanka Transport Board bus travelling from Vavuniya towards Rambewa was overtaking a private bus when it collided head-on with another Transport Board bus coming in the opposite direction; the private bus then crashed into the rear of one of the buses. Heavy rain had made the road slippery at the time. Mihintale Police are investigating the cause.

Death toll rises to five; about 70 injured

The number of injured rose over several hours, from about 20 initially to about 70. Cabinet spokesperson Nalinda Jayatissa said 76 people were injured, 61 of them admitted to Anuradhapura Teaching Hospital, where several underwent orthopaedic surgery; no patients were reported to be in intensive care. On the death toll, police first reported four dead; several outlets later cited police confirming the toll had risen to five. The Anuradhapura District Secretariat will provide lodging for families visiting injured relatives. Police said the investigation continues and the casualty figures will be updated if they change.