Bus skids off a cliff in Sri Lanka, killing eight people and injuring more than 30

A passenger bus skidded off a cliff in Sri Lanka’s tea-growing hill country on Sunday, killing eight people and injuring more than 30 others.

The accident occurred in the early hours of Sunday near the town of Kotmale, about 140 kilometres east of Colombo, the capital, in a mountainous area of central Sri Lanka, police said.

The driver was injured and among those admitted to the hospital for treatment, police added.

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The bus was operated by a state-run travel company, police said.

Deadly bus accidents are common in Sri Lanka, especially in the mountainous regions, often due to reckless driving and poorly maintained and narrow roads.