Tree falls on crowded bus, driver's skills save passengers
2008-10-21 16:34:40

By Athula Bandara
A catastrophe was averted in Kurundankulama, Anuradhapura today when the driver of an SLTB bus skilfully avoided a huge roadside tree from falling onto the middle of the bus.

A massive roadside Maara tree near the cemetery in Kurundankulama fell at approximately 1.15pm and just as it was about to fall onto the middle of the crowded bus the driver had manoeuvred the bus in such a way that the tree landed on the front of the bus where there were no passengers.

Driver of the bus M. S. Saheedu said as he was driving the bus in the rain he noticed a heavy tree on the left side of the road leaning down, and he immediately took a sharp turn towards the right.

The front section of the bus had sustained heavy damage in the incident, but only one passenger was injured, and that too, only slightly.

The conductor of the bus A. H. Dissanayake said the bus plying from Anuradhapura through Horowpathana to Diyatittawewa and had more than 50 passengers on board at the time.

Traffic along the road was halted for a few hours after the accident until the fallen tree was taken off.