Bus driver of Mahawewa tragedy arrested

COLOMBO (News 1st) - The bus driver involved in the accident that took place in Mahawewa early this morning(February 18) has been arrested. He is currently hospitalized due to injuries. The vehicle involved in the accident in Mahawewa in Chilaw was a private bus travelling from Vavuniya to Colombo. The bus had sped off the road and crashed into a transformer. The extent of damage led to great difficulty in retrieving the injured as well as the remains of the three deceased. Thirty persons were travelling in the bus at the time of the accident, nineteen of them have been hospitalized. Prasad Poornimal from News 1st was at the scene and inquired of the incident from the truck driver. He said that the bus tried to overtake the tipper truck he was driving and he was cornered making him to turn the tipper truck towards the light post nearby. Then the bus hit the back of the tipper truck and collided on to the transformer. An eye witness shared his experience with the News 1st correspondent. He noted that the bus was travelling about 80km/h making it unable to manoeuvre or brake easily and it stopped on top of the transformer resulting in a blackout. He stressed they had to rescue people using phone flashers. He noted that some had their legs separated from their bodies. He added that a man was stuck in a seat, alive yet they were unable to save him because of the weight of the transformer. One of the eyewitnesses added that the casualty rate would have gone much higher if it wasn't for the damaged transformer. The deceased included a 42 year old resident of Madurankuliya, and a 40-year-old from Gangevadiya. The bus driver and three injured women have been admitted to the Marawila Base Hospital. The reports claim that three of the injured who were admitted to the Marawila Base Hospital have now been transferred to the National Hospital. The Police state that investigations revealed the accident occurred due to uncontrollable high speed and added that the driver of the bus has been arrested. The accident led to a total blackout in Mahaweva and nearby areas for nearly twelve hours. Deputy Inspector General of Traffic division, Ajith Rohana commented on the accident. He noted that when a passenger vehicle travels through an urban area it must travel below 50 km/h, and it could be increased to 60km/h when it travels through other areas. He stressed that the drivers should be thoughtful at night because of sleepiness and exhaustion as it affects their driving. There should be two or more drivers for long distance journeys. He also added that drivers should be more considerate as human life is invaluable.

---