Police have confirmed that the driver of the cab involved in the fatal crash near a dansela in Meegoda was under the influence of alcohol.

The suspect, a 42-year-old resident of Piliyandala, has been identified as the driver of the vehicle.

Six people were killed after a cab ploughed into a queue of people waiting at a dansela in Meegoda.

Police said seven others, including a young child injured in the incident, were admitted to the Homagama Base Hospital for treatment.

According to reports, the cab, travelling from Avissawella towards Colombo, veered into a group of people standing in line at a dansala near the Meegoda junction.

The deceased include three women aged 15, 32, and 56, and three men aged 35 and 38. Police said the victims include two siblings from the same family in Padukka and a married couple from Piliyandala.