Authorities have found that the private passenger bus which toppled into a precipice in the Malliappu area of Hatton on Saturday, killing three passengers, was not roadworthy.
It is apparent that the driver was thrown out of the bus as his door was tied with a rope as the lock was broken.
Police said that this was revealed during the inspection conducted by Daminda Senanayake, Chief Motor Vehicle Inspector of Nuwara Eliya District.
Police said that the inspector observed that the driver was not wearing a seat belt and many white iron devices that could cause accidents were installed in the bus, which led to the death of three people and serious injuries to a large number of people.
The inspector has also stated that the seats of the bus were not fixed properly, so all the seats came off and collided with each other, causing serious injuries to passengers.
The Hatton Police said that they will take legal action against the owner of the bus in connection with the operation of the bus which was in an unfit condition.
Police also said that they have restored some of the deleted CCTV footage of the bus. According to the footage, the bus driver was driving the bus with one hand and when the driver’s door opened and he was trying to close the door, he suddenly disappears from the seat. As the rest of the CCTV footage is not available, Police said it is apparent that the driver was thrown out of the open door. The accident claimed the lives of three individuals and injured 52 others.
Hospital sources confirmed that among the injured, seven individuals in critical condition were transferred to the Kandy Teaching Hospital for further treatment.
The deceased are a 12-year-old child, a 57-year-old man and a 58-year-old woman.
Authorities have ordered a comprehensive investigation into the incident to ensure legal action is taken.
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