An incident occurred today (12) approximately 4:45 pm when a passenger fell from a train traveling from Colombo Fort to Rambukkana, resulting in injuries requiring hospitalization.
Another accident took place the Bulagahagoda sub-station. The victim was identified as a student from the Moratuwa Katubedda Industrial Engineering Training Institute, who tragically lost his life due to the ongoing railway strike initiated by the Locomotive Operating Engineers Association.
The heavy influx of passengers on the train heading from Kandy to Colombo Fort led to the accident near Horape station, where another student, traveling on the train’s roof, met with the fatal incident leading him to pass away.
The railway strike, which began yesterday (11), has caused disruptions, with 48 passenger train journeys canceled yesterday. Another passenger fell from a train running from Maradana to Hikkaduwa yesterday, resulting in a fatality that received little attention.
Over the course of yesterday and today, two lives were lost due to the strikes, and one person sustained serious injuries. The Railway Drivers Association canceled 118 scheduled train journeys as part of their ongoing strike.
In response to the strike, a special gazette notification was issued, designating the train service as an essential service from midnight today. This measure aims to prevent further disruptions and inconvenience to the public beginning tomorrow (13).