Two more elephants killed in collisions with trains

Two elephants have been killed and another was left critically injured in two separate collisions with trains.

One wild elephant was killed and another was critically injured in the collision with the night mail train travelling from Colombo to Kankesanthurai in Galgamuwa on Saturday night. The accident had taken place at around 12 midnight.

Meanwhile, a wild elephant was killed when it collided with a train travelling to Batticaloa from Colombo at around 1.00 a.m. on Sunday. The Batticaloa-bound train has derailed after striking the elephant in the Palugasweva area.

As a result, trains are limited to one track and there were no services beyond Kekirawa, the Railway Control Room said. This is the fourth incident of elephants being struck by trains within a month. On 18 September four elephants were killed when they were hit by a fuel tanker travelling from Orugodawatta, Colombo to Batticaloa and earlier this month three young elephants were killed when they were hit by a passenger train plying the route from Batticaloa to Colombo. In both collisions the trains derailed, damaging the tracks and the train compartments. (Colombopage)