Three persons have been reported dead, and several others were left injured after a lorry collided with a bus at Mankulam on the A9 road, police said. The accident occurred when a passenger bus traveling from Jaffna to Colombo had stopped on the side of the road due to a breakdown last night (25).

As the bus was being repaired, the driver and several passengers had gotten off. A lorry coming from the same direction crashed into the back of the bus, injuring the driver and other passengers on the road. According to police, the lorry driver lost control of the vehicle, leading to the collision.

The critically injured driver and passengers of the bus were rushed to Mankulam Hospital, where three were pronounced dead upon arrival. The driver and a passenger of the lorry, also injured, were admitted to Kilinochchi Hospital.

Among the deceased are the 39-year-old bus driver, a resident of Jaffna, and two others whose identities have yet to be confirmed. The bodies of the deceased have been placed in the mortuary of Mankulam Hospital.