Steps were taken yesterday afternoon (11) to hand over the bodies of those who died in the bus accident in the Kothmale–Geradi Ella area to their families.

According to the police, one unidentified body remains at the Gampola Hospital.

Meanwhile, 46 others injured in the accident are still receiving treatment in hospitals.

The accident occurred at around 4 a.m. yesterday when a Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB) bus belonging to the Kataragama depot, travelling from Kataragama to Kurunegala via Kandy, veered off the road and plunged about 100 feet down a precipice.

At the time of the incident, the bus was carrying around 80 passengers, with over 30 individuals sustaining injuries.

Sixteen men and six women died in the accident. Their bodies were placed at the Nawalapitiya, Peradeniya, Nuwara Eliya, and Gampola hospitals for post-mortem examinations.

Accordingly, most of the bodies have now been handed over to their relatives following post-mortem procedures, while hospital officials said more handovers are expected to take place today (12).