A tragic accident occurred earlier today in the bustling city of Colombo when a massive tree toppled onto a bus at Liberty Roundabout in Kollupitiya, resulting in the loss of five lives, as confirmed by the Colombo National Hospital.

The accident unfolded as a Deniyaya-bound bus, traveling from Colombo, was struck by the falling tree near Liberty junction in Kollupitiya. The impact of the incident left nearly 35 passengers injured, and emergency response teams rushed to the scene to provide assistance.

Efforts to rescue passengers who were trapped inside the bus were initiated promptly by the dedicated personnel of the Sri Lanka Police and the Sri Lanka Air Force. Despite the challenging circumstances, they managed to rescue all passengers who were trapped inside the bus.

In response to this tragic incident, Duplication Road has been temporarily closed to traffic in the vicinity of Liberty junction, Kollupitiya. Motorists are advised to seek alternate routes to ensure their safety and to ease traffic congestion in the area.