A passenger bus skidded off a cliff in Sri Lanka’s tea-growing hill country on Sunday, killing 21 people and injuring at least 14 others, according to an official. The accident took place in the early hours near the town of Kotmale, about 140 kilometres (86 miles) east of Colombo, the capital, in the mountainous region of central Sri Lanka, police said.

Deputy Minister of Transport and Highways Prasanna Gunasena told the media that 21 people died in the crash, and 14 others are receiving treatment in hospitals. Local media also reported him as saying his government would pay £2,380.95 (100,000 Sri Lankan Rupees) for each fatality.

Local television footage showed the bus overturned at the bottom of a steep ravine, with workers and bystanders assisting in rescuing the injured.

The driver was also injured and was among those admitted to hospital.

At the time of the crash, nearly 50 people were on board.

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

Al-Jazeera reported that the vehicle had been transporting a large group of Buddhist pilgrims.

Fatal bus accidents are common in Sri Lanka, particularly in the hilly areas, often due to reckless driving and poorly maintained, narrow roads.

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