Guwahati, Sept. 5 -- At least 15 people lost their lives Thursday night when a packed tourist bus plunged nearly 1,000 feet off a mountain road near Wellawaya, in Sri Lanka's scenic Ella region, about 174 miles east of Colombo.

Before careening off the edge, the bus reportedly collided with an oncoming vehicle and then crashed through the roadside guardrails. Witnesses said the vehicle rolled down a steep slope, landing in thick underbrush far below.

Authorities confirmed the passengers were local tourists visiting the popular tea plantation highlands. The crash also injured 16 people, including five children. Emergency responders rescued them from the wreckage.

Police said the bus driver appeared to have been speeding before losing co...