The number of children injured in a bus-train collision at a railway crossing near the Martin Wickramasinghe Memorial Museum in Koggala, Habaraduwa, Galle, has risen to 12, police said.The accident occurred at around 12.50 p.m. today when an express train travelling from Beliatta to Maradana collided with a bus carrying a group of children on a visit to the museum.

The injured children were admitted to Unawatuna and Galle National Hospitals for treatment.Police said the bus driver and his assistant had been arrested in connection with the accident.The children were visiting the museum from the Kottawa area, accompanied by their tutors and parents.According to police, 41 children, 14 tutors and six parents were on board the bus at the time of the accident. Preliminary reports indicate that the bus had crossed the railway crossing without heeding the railway signal lights.

Police are conducting further investigations into the incident.