Police have arrested the driver of the bus which had toppled from the Manampitiya bridge last night (July 09).
Police suspect that the accident occurred after the driver had lost control of the vehicle after driving at a high speed.
Police Media Spokesman – SSP Nihal Thalduwa has revealed that the driver in question has been fined on previous occasions as well for reckless driving.
While it has been confirmed that the driver was not under the influence of alcohol at the time of the accident, further investigations are underway to determine whether or not he was intoxicated by any other narcotic substances at the time, Thalduwa had further stated.
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(Previous News : July 10, 2023 12.40pm)
Death toll rises to 11 in Manampitiya bus accident!
The number of deaths in the accident that occurred when a bus fell into the river from the Kotaleeya Bridge in Manampitiya has increased to 11, hospital sources said.
A bus travelling from Polonnaruwa to Kattankudy met with an accident last night injuring 40 other passengers.
Bus has no permit!
Meanwhile, it was reported that the bus that was involved in the accident does not have a permit issued from the National Transport Commission (NTC).
Speaking to the media, NTC Chairman Shashi Welgama said that investigations are being conducted to see if any license has been issued by a provincial authority.
He said that laws are being drafted to impose hefty fines for buses that are being operated improperly.
“When we get the information, we deploy mobile inspection teams. Sometimes these buses are not running on the days when these teams are deployed. There have been instances where information about such buses has been obtained and they have been produced in the court. Besides, they operate without any permission,” he said.
