Colombo, September 05 (QNA) - Fifteen people were killed when a packed tourist bus plunged nearly 1,000 feet off a mountain road in Sri Lanka's Ella region, police reported Friday.

The accident occurred on Thursday night near the town of Wellawaya, about 174 miles east of Colombo. Police said the bus collided with another vehicle before crashing through roadside guardrails and falling into a ravine.

Sixteen others, including five children, were injured but managed to escape the wreckage. According to police, the victims included 14 local tourists and the bus driver, who had been visiting tea plantation towns in the area.

It was the deadliest bus crash since May, when 23 passengers were killed in Kotmale.

Deadly bus accidents are frequent in Sri Lanka's mountainous regions, often attributed to reckless driving, narrow roads, and poor vehicle maintenance. (QNA)