Twenty-one Buddhist pilgrims were killed in a tragic bus accident in Sri Lanka on Sunday, while fourteen others were gravely injured. As the state-owned bus traveled through the central hilly region of Kotmale early in the morning, it veered off a cliff, causing what police say is one of the worst traffic accidents in decades.
According to reports, the bus was carrying about 70 people more than 20 more than it could hold. The cause of the accident is being investigated by authorities. According to AFP, which cited local police, 15 people died at the scene, and six more died while receiving hospital treatment. Fourteen are still in critical condition.
The bus was traveling from the pilgrimage site of Kataragama, which is about 250 kilometers (155 miles) away in the south of Sri Lanka, to the central city of Kurunegala. Sri Lanka’s roads rank among the most dangerous in the world, with an average of 3,000 road fatalities annually.
