At least 21 people have been killed and many others injured when a bus carrying dozens of Buddhist pilgrims in central Sri Lanka careened off a cliff, according to authorities.

The crash took place early on Sunday in a mountainous area near the town of Kotmale, about 140km (86 miles) east of the capital, Colombo.

Deputy Minister of Transport and Highways Prasanna Gunasena, while confirming the number of deaths, told local media that at least 14 others were wounded and being treated in hospitals.

Television footage showed the bus overturned at the bottom of a precipice while volunteers helped rescue injured people from the rubble.

The vehicle, operated by a state-run bus company, was travelling from the pilgrim town of Kataragama in the south to the central city of Kurunegala, about 250km (155 miles) away.