Wee-hour wildlife tragedy: two jumbos knocked down to death by fuel carriage train

• Two others injured  

 By Rohana Chandradasa and Nimal Jayaratne   

In another wildlife tragedy, two wild elephants died after  being knocked down by the Batticaloa-bound fuel carriage train between  Gal Oya and Hingurakgoda Railway Stations during the wee hours of  yesterday. In the accident, two other elephants were injured.   

A herd of wild elephants crossing the railway line at  Rotawewa in Minneriya between Gal Oya and Hingurakgoda Railway Stations  met with this accident.   

A senior official of the Anuradhapura Railway Operation  Superintendent’s office said the railway line had been extensively  damaged, bringing the train service between Gal Oya and Batticaloa to a  standstill. He said immediate steps were taken to effect repairs to the  railway line.   

The train was transporting a stock of 11,000 gallons of  diesel and petrol from the Kolonnawa Ceylon Petroleum Corporation Storage  complex to Batticaloa when it met with the accident.   

Minneriya Police conducting investigations said seven tanks  contained diesel and four petrol and that two of the tanks transporting  petrol had derailed and toppled, causing a huge leak of petrol.  

OIC Minneriya Police CI Duminda Fernando said the train  crew comprised four employees including the driver, but none of them had been hurt. The driver said the herd crossed the railway line about  15 metres ahead of the train, and it was not possible to stop the train.   

A police team from Minneriya and Habarana Police had been deployed on guard at the scene.