COLOMBO, June 1 -- Six people were killed and seven others injured after a cab driven by an allegedly intoxicated driver ploughed into a crowd waiting in line at a Vesak dansala in Meegoda, on the outskirts of Colombo, police said.

The accident occurred late Sunday (May 31) night on High Level Road in the Meegoda Police Division when the vehicle veered off the road and crashed into a group of people gathered to receive free food being distributed as part of Vesak celebrations.

Police said the driver attempted to flee the scene following the collision but was apprehended by officers stationed near Meegoda Junction. The suspect, a 42-year-old resident of Piliyandala, was later found to have been under the influence of alcohol.

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