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| Road crash kills 23 in Sri Lanka | |
| (about 8 hours later) | |
| At least 23 people were killed when a passenger bus collided with a truck carrying beer bottles in southern Sri Lanka, police said. | |
| At last 50 passengers were also injured in the collision. | |
| Police said the two vehicles caught fire after the collision. They said most of the victims were on the bus. | Police said the two vehicles caught fire after the collision. They said most of the victims were on the bus. |
| Sri Lanka has close to 25,000 buses being operated by private companies and the state transport department and bus accidents are a major problem. | Sri Lanka has close to 25,000 buses being operated by private companies and the state transport department and bus accidents are a major problem. |
| News agency Reuters quoted Jayantha Gamage, deputy inspector general for Sri Lanka's southern province, as saying: "There was an accident between a passenger bus and a lorry transporting beer." | News agency Reuters quoted Jayantha Gamage, deputy inspector general for Sri Lanka's southern province, as saying: "There was an accident between a passenger bus and a lorry transporting beer." |
| "It was a head-on crash in a bend. Both vehicles caught fire," he said. | "It was a head-on crash in a bend. Both vehicles caught fire," he said. |
| The accident happened about 80km (50 miles) south of the capital, Colombo. | The accident happened about 80km (50 miles) south of the capital, Colombo. |
| "Fifty-seven people with injuries were brought in for treatment," Jayampathy Senanayake, head of the area's main hospital, told the AFP news agency. | |
| "A few people are in a critical condition." Correspondents say that most of the corpses were badly charred, and officials were trying to identify the victims through clothing or personal effects. | |
| Two years ago, Sri Lanka's government pledged to crack down on the private bus sector after a crash at a rail level crossing killed 35 people. | Two years ago, Sri Lanka's government pledged to crack down on the private bus sector after a crash at a rail level crossing killed 35 people. |
| Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse vowed an overhaul of bus services and tough penalties for offending drivers. | Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse vowed an overhaul of bus services and tough penalties for offending drivers. |
| Officials say bus drivers often ignore traffic rules and race past each other. | Officials say bus drivers often ignore traffic rules and race past each other. |