A bus carrying students slides off a road in Sri Lanka, killing two people and injuring 39 others

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka – A bus carrying university students on a field trip veered off the road and overturned in central Sri Lanka on Friday, killing two students and injuring 39 others, officials said.

According to police, the accident occurred when the driver lost control of the vehicle on a curve near the town of Badulla in the country's mountainous tea-growing region, about 330 kilometers (205 miles) north of the capital Colombo.

Derana television showed residents helping health workers rescue the injured students from the overturned bus.

According to police and doctors, 39 injured passengers, including six in critical condition, were admitted to the main hospital in Badulla. Two others were pronounced dead.

Fatal bus accidents are common in Sri Lanka, often caused by reckless driving and poorly maintained roads.