Stacy
HABARANA, Sri Lanka, 20 Feb: A Sri Lankan passenger train derailed on Thursday after colliding with a herd of elephants, killing six of the animals in the country’s worst such wildlife accident, police confirmed. No passengers were injured in the incident.
The express train was traveling near a wildlife reserve in Habarana, approximately 180 kilometers east of the capital, Colombo when it struck the herd crossing the tracks before dawn. The impact led to the train derailing, though all passengers remained unharmed. Wildlife authorities are currently treating two elephants that survived the crash.
Footage captured in the aftermath of the accident displayed a heartbreaking scene, with one elephant standing beside an injured youngster, their trunks intertwined in a sad display of distress.
Sri Lanka is home to an estimated 7,000 wild elephants, which are considered a national treasure due to their cultural and religious significance, particularly in Buddhism. Harming or killing elephants is a criminal offense in the country.
This tragedy echoes a similar incident in September 2018, when a train in the same region killed two baby elephants and their pregnant mother. In response, authorities had enforced speed limits for trains passing through wildlife corridors to reduce such accidents.
The elephant deaths come amid increasing concern over human-elephant conflict, as the animal’s natural habitat is increasingly encroached upon. Farmers struggling with crop losses frequently clash with elephants that raid their fields for food.
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Olivia
Kathy
