Twenty three killed in bus-truck collision

Huge impact creates deadly fire :

Mohammed Naalir in Induruwa and Rafik Jalaldeen

INDURUWA: Twenty three persons were killed and over 60 injured when a giant beer container truck crashed into a SLTB bus at Keikawela in Induruwa, Kosgoda in the early hours of yesterday.

The victims included eight women and two children who were among the 20 passengers burnt to death after both vehicles caught fire following the collision. The container driver and his cleaner died on the spot while the bus driver died in hospital. Most of the bodies, charred beyond recognition, are at Karapitiya.

"No sooner the speeding container truck hit our bus it overturned and caught fire. I clambered out, but many fellow passengers were not so lucky. The fire spread fast and those trapped inside the bus were screaming for help," a passenger who escaped unhurt told the Daily News.

The SLTB bus was totally burnt and Police fear there might be several bodies entangled in the wreckage. An eyewitness said most passengers choked to death as a result of smoke inhalation well before the flames reached all parts of the bus.

Twenty other passengers are in a critical condition at the Karapitiya Hospital. Several others are receiving treatment at Gonagala, Balapitiya and Bentota Hospitals. Apart from two cyclists, no injuries have been caused to anyone on the ground.

Southern Range DIG Jayantha Gamage said the ill-fated newly registered Tata bus from the Nagoda Depot was plying from Galle to Colombo when the mishap occurred at around 6.15 a.m. near the Induruwa Beach Resort.

He said the driver of the prime mover coming from the direction of Colombo had lost control of the vehicle which veered off the road and crashed head-on into the oncoming bus. The fire is believed to have been ignited as a result of a fuel leak coupled with gas which emanated from the beer container following the impact, which overturned the bus.

Preliminary investigations revealed the accident occurred as a result of the truck driver's negligence. It has been disclosed that he had come to Colombo around 1 a.m. and headed back to Galle again.

Hotel staffers and villagers who rushed to the scene made frantic and selfless efforts to rescue the victims trapped inside the bus engulfed in flames despite the very danger posed to their own lives. They also summoned the police and fire brigade, DIG Gamage told the Daily News.

Rescue efforts were hampered by the fire and smoke and the glass strewn all over the road by exploding beer bottles.

There were chaotic scenes as the charred remains of the dead were extracted from the burning wreckage. Others mostly with burn injuries were rushed to hospital in passing vehicles.

The Galle road was temporarily closed following the accident with vehicles diverted through Bentota and Karandeniya, the DIG said.

The police called for the public assistance to identify the dead bodies lying at the Karapitiya hospital.The Kosgoda and Ambalangoda Police are investigating.

The Balapitiya Magistrate conducted an inquiry at the site. The Government Analyst was also due to visit the site.

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President expresses sorrow, compensation expedited

Irangika Range

COLOMBO: President Mahinda Rajapaksa yesterday expressed condolences to the families of those who died in the bus-lorry crash in Induruwa and wished a speedy recovery for the injured.

The President directed the Transport Minister to visit the scene of accident immediately and make arrangements to render medical assistance to the victims and also arrange the expeditious payment of insurance and SLTB compensation as the bus was fully insured.

Transport Minister Dallas Alahapperuma visited the area soon afterwards and said the Government has implemented a mechanism to get the details of the victims for payment of compensation.

A discussion was also held between Human Rights and Disaster Management Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe and the beer company yesterday at which the company has agreed to pay Rs.1.25,000 in respect of each death and Rs.25,000 for each injured person.

A sum of Rs. 10,000 has already been released by the Sri Lanka Transport Board as a funeral expenses to the families of each victim.

The bus was fully insured by the Insurance Corporation and it has pledged to pay Rs.50,000 each as an advance to the families of identified victims.