Jaffna-bound luxury bus turns turtle, 12 injured

by Jayampathy JAYASINGHE

The driver of a Jaffna bound luxury passenger bus plying along the Chillaw-Puttalam road has been taken into custody, when the vehicle ran off the road and crashed onto two trees, turned over killing its conductor and injuring 12 passengers on Friday. The accident occurred at Pubudugama in the Mundalama area, the Police Media spokesman, Superintendent of Police, Ajith Rohana told the Sunday Observer.

The injured passengers with minor injuries were admitted to the Puttalama government hospital. According to police the mishap had occurred when another passenger bus that came from behind collided with the luxury bus while trying to overtake it. +

The conductor of the luxury bus who was seriously injured and later succumbed to his injuries at the Puttalam government hospital. According to police the driver and the conductor of the passenger bus had fled the scene. Investigations revealed the deceased bus conductor had driven the bus while the driver was seated elsewhere. The Mundalama police will produce the suspect driver of the luxury bus before Puttalam Magistrate. The Mundalama police is on the lookout for the driver and the bus conductor.