News

Elephant-train collision triggers renewed demand for speed restrictions and safety measures

Published

2 years ago

2024/10/19

Two wild elephants were killed and several others injured when a train, transporting fuel, colliding with a herd of elephants, and derailed between the Hingurakgoda and Gal Oya railway stations. The incident took place around 3.10 a.m. on Friday (18).

By Rathindra Kuruwita

The failure of the Department of Wildlife Conservation and Sri Lanka Railways to reach an agreement on measures to reduce elephant-train collisions has resulted in numerous elephant fatalities, waste of hundreds of thousands of litres of fuel, and significant damage to railway tracks, Supun Lahiru Prakash, Director of the Biodiversity Conservation and Research Circle (BCRC) says.

Speaking to The Island on Friday (18), in the wake of two elephants deaths, and waste of about 100,000 litres of petrol due to an accident where a herd of elephants collided with a cargo train, between Hingurakgoda and Gal Oya, Prakash said no meaningful action had been taken to prevent such mishaps.

The accident occurred around 3:10 a.m. on 18 October while the train was travelling from the Kolonnawa Petroleum Storage Terminal, in Colombo, to Batticaloa, according to the Railway Department. As a result of the collision, four fuel tankers derailed, causing significant damage to the railway tracks.

Train services on the Colombo-Batticaloa main line have been suspended due to the extensive damage.

M.W. Jayalath, the engine driver, told reporters that they had left Gal Oya at 2:54 a.m., and the accident took place around 3:10 a.m.

“Suddenly, a herd of about 20 elephants entered the track. There was no time to stop. This train was carrying three petrol and five diesel tankers, each holding about 50,000 litres of fuel. The fuel from two tanks was spilled,” he said.

Jayalath explained that the track was severely damaged, and it could take around 48 hours for train services to resume.

A local resident stated that the accident occurred near a well-known elephant crossing. “This is where elephants cross to travel between Minneriya Tank and Kaudulla National Park,” he told journalists.

Chaminda Kumara, Park Warden at Minneriya National Park, noted that trains have been instructed to travel at around 20 kilometres per hour in this area. However, based on the accident, it was evident the train was travelling at a much higher speed.

“We conducted workshops for engine drivers to educate them on avoiding collisions with elephants, but it seems lessons are not being learned,” he said.

The Railway Department stated that Wildlife officials have claimed the train was travelling at around 80 kilometres per hour. An inquiry is being conducted, according to Additional General Manager of Railways (Operations), V.S. Polwattage.

“This train has a 50-year-old engine, which used to transport around nine fuel tankers, but now only eight. This is a hilly route, and it is not feasible to travel at very low speeds with such old engines. We have considered all factors and have recommended speed limits. Teams have been dispatched to repair the track,” Polwattage said.

In 2018, six elephants were killed when they were struck by the same train at the 127-mile post on the Colombo-Gal Oya railway line near Puwakpitiya, Habarana. Three fuel tankers derailed, and the track was severely damaged.

Commenting on the ongoing conflict between the Department of Wildlife Conservation and the Railway Department, Supun Lahiru Prakash stated that many elephants die each year from train collisions. “We only seem to be concerned when a major accident occurs. These incidents have been happening for decades, yet the two Departments have not come together to find a solution. The most effective way to reduce these tragedies is to lower train speeds. However, if we conduct a systematic study, we should be able to identify specific areas where trains must slow down. The last study we conducted was in 2018, and much has changed over the past six years,” he said.

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News

Geneva takes up Sallay’s case and govt. ignores opportunity to answer accusations

Published

2 hours ago

2026/10/5

Thilina Walpola

Suresh Sallay

The government has chosen not to respond to questions raised by the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) regarding the detention of retired Maj. Gen. Suresh Sallay in connection with the ongoing investigations into the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks.

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) arrested the ex-official in late February this year. The Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism, the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, the Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health and the Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers have jointly raised the issue on 20 July, 2026.

Drawing attention of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to what they called alleged arbitrary detention of Sallay, former Director General of the State Intelligence Service (SIS) and former Director of Military Intelligence (DMI), under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), as well as allegations of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment while in custody, resulting in the grave deterioration of his health, and imminent risks of retaliation through further torture and ill-treatment resulting in irreparable harm, should he be released from hospital and returned to custody, the UN sought the government explanation with a 60-day period.

The UN has stated: “This communication, and any response received from your Excellency’s Government, will be made public via the communications reporting website at the 60 days mark. Should your Excellency’s Government respond within 60 days, both the communication and the response, may be published before the 60 days mark. The communications and responses

will also be made available in the subsequent periodic report to be presented to the Human Rights Council.”

In the absence of the government’s response, the UN posted the letter, dated 20 July, 2026, addressed to President Dissanayake. The full letter can be accessed https://spcommreports.ohchr.org/TMResultsBase/DownLoadPublicCommunicationFile?gId=31125

News

Section of wartime KKS High Security Zone vacated to facilitate economic development in the area

Published

2 hours ago

2026/10/5

Thilina Walpola

The Army, last week, vacated an area, within the wartime high security zone in the Jaffna peninsula. The Defence Ministry said that an extent of 187.56 acres of land, belonging to the Cement Corporation in Kankesanthurai, Jaffna, has been released by the military. The released land, located in Grama Niladhari Division J/233, Kankesanthurai West, within the Valikamam North (Tellippalai) Divisional Secretariat Division, had been utilised by the Sri Lanka Army since the middle of 1997.

The release of the 187.56-acre extent forms part of the initiative to make State land available for the proposed investment zone in Kankesanthurai, thereby facilitating future investment and economic development in the area.

News

Lawyer lodges complaint against Govt. Printer, Media Ministry Secy.

Published

2 hours ago

2026/10/5

Thilina Walpola

A complaint has been lodged with the Colombo Fraud Investigation Bureau against the Government Printer and the Secretary to the Ministry of Media regarding the online release of falsified documents bearing a forged Speaker’s certificate.

Attorney-at-Law Aruna Laksiri has lodged a complaint with the Colombo Fraud Investigation Bureau requesting legal action against the Government Printer of the Department of Government Printing (No. 118, Dr. Danister de Silva Mawatha, Colombo 08), Prasanna Jayaratne, and the Secretary to the Ministry of Mass Media (Asidisi Medura, 163, Kirulapone Mawatha, Polhengoda, Colombo 05), Dr. Anil Jasinghe.

The complaint alleges the commission of offences by forging and uploading falsified documents online using a forged Speaker’s certification, failure to perform statutory duties, and misappropriation of public property.

The complaint states that a copy of the English translation of the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution was downloaded and printed from the official website of the Government Printing Department (www.documents.gov.lk), which operates under the Ministry of Mass Media. On its outer cover and on page 1, the text “certified on 25th of September, 2026” is inscribed inside brackets.

The complaint pointed out that the Speaker has certified an English translation. Under Articles 23, 79, 83, and 80 of the Constitution, Parliament enacts laws and the Speaker certifies bills strictly in the Sinhala and Tamil languages; under the Constitution, therefore the Speaker cannot apply such certification to an English translation.