Train hits and kills 2 wild elephants in Sri Lanka as 2 of its fuel-carrying tankers derail

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — A train carrying thousands of gallons of fuel hit a herd of wild elephants in northeast Sri Lanka, killing two of the giant mammals and injuring one other as two of its tankers got derailed, authorities said.

The collision happened in the town of Minneriya — about 200 kilometers (124 miles) from the capital, Colombo — renowned for its nature park and wildlife.

The train driver told The Associated Press that the herd of nearly 20 elephants suddenly tried to cross over the railway track Friday.

"There was about 10 meters (32 feet) between us. So, we couldn’t do anything. We pressed the breaks to their maximum capacity, but there was nothing much we could do. At least four elephants were knocked down.” N.W. Jayalath said.

The train had eight tankers — five carrying diesel and another three petrol, each with a capacity of 50,000 liters (about 132,000 gallons), Jayalath said. Two of the petrol tankers got derailed, causing a significant leakage and severely damaging railway tracks and forcing authorities to suspend the train services on that line, he added.

The train compartment harboring the conductor also got derailed. The train also had two other railway personnel besides the driver. None of the four were injured.

“This is the first time I saw this kind of incident," V.J. Jackson, a Minneriya resident, said. “We came here after hearing the honking of the train and the screaming of the elephants. We saw elephants lying everywhere and the train had derailed."

Hasini Sarathchandra, the publicity officer of the wildlife department said the two elephants were killed on site while the injured one was treated and released back to its herd.

Minneriya National Park draws thousands of tourists each year hoping to see elephants in their wild habitats. It is part of the “elephant corridor that connects Kaudulla and Wasgamuwa National parks” which allows for elephant sightings year-round.

Though elephants are revered in the Indian Ocean island nation, they are endangered with their numbers dwindling from about 14,000 in the 19th century to 6,000 in 2011, according to the country’s first elephant census.

Elephant-train collisions have gone up in recent years in Sri Lanka, with wild elephants attempting to cross over railway tracks in search of food and water. They are increasingly vulnerable because of the loss and degradation of their natural habitat and many venture closer to human settlements in search of food. Some are killed by poachers or farmers angry over damage to their crops.

According to the government statistics, seven elephants have died this year after being knocked down by trains while 24 died in 2023.