The fatal Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB) bus crash at Gerandi Ella in Kotmale was caused by driver fatigue, according to a report by an expert committee.

The investigation found that the driver violated Sections 169/1 and 169/2 of the Motor Traffic Act by taking only a 15-minute break instead of the required 30 minutes after 4.5 hours of driving.

This breach meant the driver had been on the road continuously for over 6 and a half hours when the accident occurred. The bus was travelling from Kataragama to Kurunegala via Nuwara Eliya when it veered off the Nuwara Eliya–Gampola main road and plunged into a ravine at Gerandi Ella, Ramboda.

The crash resulted in 23 fatalities, including 5 women, and injured 60 others who were hospitalised.