Train Collides with Elephant Herd in Sri Lanka, 6 Elephants Dead

A passenger train derailed after colliding with a herd of elephants near a wildlife reserve in central Sri Lanka on Thursday morning. The incident occurred in Habarana, located east of the capital Colombo.

While no passengers were injured in the accident, six elephants tragically lost their lives. Two additional elephants were injured in the collision and are currently receiving treatment, according to police. This incident is being described as the worst wildlife-related accident the country has experienced, AFP reported.

Train collisions with herds of elephants are not an uncommon occurrence in Sri Lanka, where human-elephant conflicts are among the deadliest in the world. Last year alone, over 170 people and nearly 500 elephants were killed in such encounters, with approximately 20 elephants dying annually from train accidents, according to local media.

Elephants, whose natural habitats are rapidly shrinking due to deforestation and resource depletion, have increasingly wandered into areas populated by humans. As a result, wildlife experts have called for train operators to reduce speed and use horns to alert animals that may be crossing railway tracks.

This recent accident follows a similar tragedy in 2018, when a pregnant elephant and her two calves were struck and killed by a train in Habarana as they crossed the tracks at dawn. Another train accident in October 2024 near Minneriya, about 25 kilometers from Habarana, resulted in the death of two elephants and the injury of one more.

Sri Lanka is home to an estimated 7,000 wild elephants. The animals are highly revered by the country’s Buddhist majority and are protected by law. Killing an elephant is considered a crime and is punishable by imprisonment or a fine.