The bus crashed at Diyatalawa, it wasn't my fault - Driver

An incident was reported the day before yesterday where a private bus carrying a large number of passengers from Colombo to Badulla veered off the road near Diyatalawa railway station and plunged down a 20-foot precipice, seriously injuring 42 people. A group of people traveling to their hometowns for the Poson Poya Day holiday faced this accident, and it is reported that among the injured are 22 males and 20 females.

Immediately after the accident, relief teams took steps to admit all the injured to Diyatalawa Base Hospital.

This private bus, bearing registration WP ND - 8209, commenced its journey from the main bus stand on Bastian Mawatha, Colombo, towards Badulla at approximately 6:15 PM on Poson Poya Day. After a tea break at a restaurant in the Kuruwita Paradise area around 9:30 PM, the bus resumed its journey. It is reported that the bus, which was overflowing with passengers, was traveling past the Galkanda area of Diyatalawa around 1:00 AM the following day.

Commenting on the accident, the bus driver, 44-year-old Mr. Prabath Weerasinghe, stated that the accident was not due to his negligence. He explained that when he applied the brakes to control the bus on the steeply curved road near Diyatalawa railway station, they completely failed. At the same time, the bus's gear also disengaged and shifted to 'neutral,' causing the vehicle's speed to increase further. Despite the driver's strenuous efforts to hit a nearby embankment or stop the bus, it failed, and the bus veered off the road and overturned onto the lower railway track.

The driver also stated that when the accident occurred, about 15 passengers were thrown forward and fell on him, causing him to be trapped in the driver's seat for several minutes. Subsequently, Diyatalawa police officers, army personnel, and local residents worked tirelessly to rescue those trapped in the bus. The driver also sustained serious injuries to both his legs due to the accident, and Diyatalawa police are conducting further investigations into the incident.