Train kills elephant in Sri Lanka
ALBAWABA - An express train in Sri Lanka killed an elephant and derailed on Tuesday, marking the country's worst wildlife railway accident in three months.
According to AFP, local authorities revealed that the baby elephant was crossing a track near the city of Habarana before colliding with the train, which also killed seven elephants back on February 20. In response to the accident, a Sri Lankan official enforced new speed limits for trains passing through elephant habitats.
Authorities reported that no passengers were injured during the train accident, which occurred in eastern Colombo. Several engineers were called in to put the derailed train back on track. While killing elephants is considered a criminal offense in Sri Lanka due to their link to Buddhist culture, 139 of them were killed by trains in the past 17 years. Sri Lanka train kills elephant, marking the country's worst wildlife railway accident in three months.
Police and railway personnel examine a derailed train at Habarana in eastern Sri Lanka on February 20, 2025, which killed six elephants. (Photo by AFP)
Additionally, the ongoing conflict between humans and elephants on the island resulted in the death of 1,195 people and 3,484 elephants in the past decade.
According to a report by AFP, many elephants suffered a painful death in Sri Lanka after getting electrocuted, shot, and poisoned. Moreover, some people would provide them with fruits loaded with explosives to injure or kill them.
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