A customer train hit a flock close to a wildlife sanctuary in Sri Lanka, killing at least six animals, an official reported on Thursday.
Four baby elephants and two adults died in the collision near Minneriya, about 200 kilometers ( 124 miles ) from the capital, Colombo. The place is renowned for its nature park and animals, said Hasini Sarathchandra, a spokesman for the government’s wildlife department.
The station website and a number of compartments had derailed following the collision, according to local television stations. No passenger was injured, said a railroad official, who declined to be named as he was never authorized to speak to the media.
Sarathchandra stated that the animals agency has opened an exploration into the event.
Every year, thousands of visitors to Minneriya National Park are hoping to see animals in their natural habitats. It is a part of the “elephant hall” that connects the national gardens of Kaudulla and Wasgamuwa.
Wild animals are attempting to cross over rail lines in search of food and water in recent years in Sri Lanka. They are becoming more vulnerable as a result of the degeneration and loss of their natural habitat, and many people travel closer to people communities in search of food. Some are killed by thieves or farmers unhappy with the harm their crops have done to their plants.
According to federal statistics, nine animals died in 2024 after being knocked down by railways, compared with 24 in 2023.
Though animals are revered in the Indian Ocean beach state, they are endangered with their statistics dwindling from about 14, 000 in the 19th century to 6, 000 in 2011, according to the country’s earliest rhino population.
