Two dead 39 injured in accident at Badulla

• Three lecturers, two military officials, 15 female students and 19 male students had been injured

By Prasad Rukmal and Prasanna Pathmasiri  

In a fatal accident at Ambagasoya on the Badulla-Mahiyangana highway last morning, two female students of Sir John Kotalawala Defence University died and at least 39 others were seriously injured, when a bus transporting them veered off the road and crashed into a embankment.   

A group of students, lecturers and several military officials from the Kotalawala defense University were on their way from Badulla to Randenigala when they met with accident.   

 It was with great difficulty that the staff of Badulla teaching hospital including Senior Medical Officer of the Emergency treatment Uni Dr. Palitha Rajapakse who arrived at the scene evacuated the injured from the wreckage with the help of the police , the army and Badulla Municipal Fire Brigade and rushed them to hospital by ambulances.   

A group of final year students, with their lecturers and several military officials had been on a trip to Ella on Thursday (31) and had stayed for the night at Pelgahathenna in Passara. Last morning, they had set off for Randenigala to attend a training programme.   

Police said. three lecturers, two military officials, 15 female students and 19 male students had been injured. They said the injured, several of them in critical condition were admitted to Badulla teaching hospital. The injured were from several areas of the country.   

Investigations revealed that the driver who lost control of the bus on a incline due to a technical defect had driven into the embankment to stop the bus .

A Police team under OIC Traffic Branch IP Jayatunga, and SI A.V. Anura is conducting further investigations on the instructions of HQI Badulla police CI Chanaka Chiranjeewa Wijeratne and SP P.M.Jayaratne.