Fuel train derails in Sri Lanka after collision with wild elephants

COLOMBO, Oct. 18 (Xinhua) — A train transporting fuel derailed in Sri Lanka’s North Central Province after colliding with a herd of wild elephants on the railway track, the Department of Railways reported Friday.
The accident occurred around 3:30 a.m. local time on Friday while the train was en route from the Kolonnawa Petroleum Storage Terminal in Colombo to Batticaloa in the Eastern Province.
According to the Department of Railways, four fuel tankers derailed as a result of the collision, causing significant damage to the railway tracks.
Two elephants were killed, and several others were critically injured in the accident, local media reported.
Train services on the Colombo-Batticaloa main line have been suspended temporarily due to the damage. ■