(MENAFN- IANS) Colombo, July 21 (IANS) Twenty-one people were injured in a head-on collision between a private bus and a state-owned Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB) bus in Kegalle, Sabaragamuwa province in central Sri Lanka, on Monday morning, police said.

The accident happened around 5 am, according to police. The injured are receiving treatment at two regional hospitals.

Kegalle police have launched an investigation into the incident.

In a similar incident on June 18, about 23 people were injured when a passenger bus collided with a container truck in Ratnapura district in south central Sri Lanka, according to police.

Traffic on the Colombo-Ratnapura main road was disrupted for about an hour following the accident.

All those injured were taken to a regional hospital. Local media reported that none of the victims is in serious condition.

Further, according to Xinhua news agency, a total of 592 Sri Lankans have died in 565 fatal road accidents as of April 2 this year.

Deputy Inspector General of Motor Traffic and Road Safety of Sri Lanka Police, Indika Hapugoda, had told the media that there were 594 fatal accidents, claiming 619 lives during the same period in 2024.

He also noted that April tends to record a higher number of fatal road accidents due to multiple nationwide celebrations, with 204 deaths reported during the month in 2024 alone, adding that December is another month that typically sees a spike in road fatalities for similar reasons.

Looking at annual figures, Hapugoda said 2,341 people died in 2,231 fatal road accidents in 2023, and the number rose in 2024, with 2,541 deaths recorded from 2,403 fatal accidents.

He further highlighted that 7,127 people sustained serious injuries in fatal accidents in 2024, many of whom now face long-term medical treatment or permanent disabilities.

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