Sun May 11 07:48:23 UTC 2025: ## Sri Lanka Bus Crash Kills 21 Buddhist Pilgrims
**Kotmale, Sri Lanka** – At least 21 people are dead and 14 injured following a horrific bus crash in central Sri Lanka. The accident occurred early Sunday morning near Kotmale, approximately 140 kilometers east of Colombo. A state-run bus carrying dozens of Buddhist pilgrims plunged off a cliff in the mountainous region.
Deputy Minister of Transport and Highways Prasanna Gunasena confirmed the death toll and the number of injured, who are receiving treatment at local hospitals. Television footage shows the overturned bus at the bottom of a precipice, with rescue workers assisting survivors amidst the wreckage.
The bus, operated by a state-run company, was en route from the southern pilgrimage site of Kataragama to Kurunegala in central Sri Lanka, a journey of approximately 250 kilometers. Authorities are investigating the cause of the accident.
First Piper 