Bus and beer truck crash kills 22 in Sri Lanka

INDURUWA, SRI LANKA: At least 22 people were killed and 57 others injured on Tuesday when a crowded bus and a truck loaded with beer collided in southern Sri Lanka, police and doctors said.

Most of the victims were trapped and burnt to death following the crash in the coastal resort town of Induruwa, 70 kilometres (43 miles) south of Colombo.

"Fifty-seven people with injuries were brought in for treatment," said Jayampathy Senanayake, head of the area's main hospital here. "A few people are in a critical condition."

The bus was heading towards Colombo when it collided head-on with the truck, police said. There were no reports of any foreigners among the dead or injured, police said.

Many residents had initially thought a bomb exploded and had alerted police. The scene of the accident was also strewn with smashed beer bottles.

Sri Lankan roads are some of the most dangerous in the world with accidents claiming at least 2,000 lives each year on a poorly-maintained network choked with more than two million vehicles.

The accident came amid tight security at bus stations following fears of bomb attacks by Tamil Tiger rebels. Fifteen people were killed when a parcel bomb exploded in the same area in January.