Two more accidents in Kuliyapitiya and Kajugama

Five persons died when a tree fell on a bus on Duplication Road, Colombo, yesterday. The bus was heading to Deniyaya from Colombo. The bus left Colombo Fort around 5.30 am. When it stopped near the bus halt near Clifford Avenue, about 20 minutes later, a Roarosiya tree, bound to a nuga tree, toppled onto the bus.

The tree was about 40 years old and there had not been complaints that the tree posed any threat of toppling, Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) officials said. Seventeen passengers were injured, while 12 are receiving treatment at the Colombo National Hospital, police said.

Those killed will each receive 500,000 rupees as compensation.State Minister of Defence, Pramitha Bandara Tennakoon instructed officials to survey all trees near roads and remove those that can pose a hazard to the public.

Another accident in Karathippola, Kuliyapitiya, left 26 people injured. Among them are 15 students. A bus transporting students and an SLTB bus had collided, police said.

Those injured are being treated at the Kuliyapitiya hospital. None are in critical ccondition.Another road accident, involving a bus and a fuel bowser, in Kajugama, Bataleeya, left 20 people injured.