More than a dozen people are feared dead after a tourist bus crashed down a mountainside in Sri Lanka.

The fatal crash happened overnight in the mountainous Ella region east of the capital Colombo, near the town of Wellawaya.

Local tourists were reportedly travelling back from a tea plantation visit when the bus smashed through the barrier and down the mountain.

Another 16 passengers were also injured, but they were able to climb out of the bus wreckage.

Footage shows the badly damaged remains of the bus, appearing to be lodged on a steep gradient, with seats and debris scattered around.

Its walls and roof appear to have peeled off.

One surviving passenger said the driver warned those on board just before the fall, shouting at them to hold on.

The woman said: ‘I was thrown out of the bus through a broken window.’

An early investigation suggests the driver lost control, according to the police.

Fatal bus incidents are common in Sri Lanka. In particular, its narrow and poorly maintained mountain roads are a hotspot for crashes.

In May, 21 passengers were killed after a bus crashed off a mountain road and landed on its roof near the town of Kotmale.

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