Fri Feb 21 03:30:00 UTC 2025: ## Sri Lankan Train Derails After Striking Elephant Herd, Killing Six
**Habarana, Sri Lanka** – A passenger train derailed in Sri Lanka on Thursday after colliding with a family of elephants near Habarana, resulting in the deaths of six elephants, police reported. While no passengers were injured, the incident is being described as the island’s worst wildlife accident of its kind.
The express train struck the herd of elephants crossing the tracks near a wildlife reserve, approximately 180 kilometers east of Colombo, before dawn. Police confirmed the derailment and stated that wildlife authorities are providing treatment to two surviving elephants. Videos from the scene show one elephant seemingly guarding an injured young elephant near the tracks.
This tragedy comes just days after government officials voiced concerns over the escalating human-elephant conflict in Sri Lanka. Deputy Minister of Environment Anton Jayakody recently revealed that 150 people and 450 elephants died in clashes during 2023, a rise from the previous year’s figures. The minister expressed confidence in the government’s ability to implement solutions, including the construction of barriers such as electric fences and trenches to prevent elephants from entering villages.
The killing or harming of elephants is a criminal offense in Sri Lanka, where the animals are considered a national treasure and hold significant cultural importance. The incident highlights the ongoing challenges of balancing human development with the conservation of endangered Asian elephants, whose numbers are estimated at 7,000 on the island. A similar incident in 2018 resulted in the deaths of two baby elephants and their pregnant mother in the same area. Following that event, speed limits were imposed on trains passing through known elephant crossing areas. The latest accident underscores the urgent need for effective mitigation strategies to prevent further loss of life, both human and elephant.
First Piper 