The Sri Lanka Railway has reported a concerning surge in train derailments, with more than 100 incidents documented in the initial eight months of the current year.
According to official figures from the railway department, a total of 109 derailments occurred between January and October.
N.J. Indipolage, the General Manager of Railway, pointed to deficiencies in repair activities and flaws in train carriages as contributing factors to the rise in derailments.
In parallel, the railway system has experienced 61 collisions between trains and vehicles at level crossings during 2023, resulting in 12 fatalities and 62 injuries.
Furthermore, there have been 353 reported cases of individuals being struck by trains in recent months, attributed to both suicide attempts and careless trespassing on railway tracks.
Tragically, these incidents have claimed the lives of 154 individuals, with at least 203 sustaining injuries.
