Sri Lanka: lightning struck a train in the middle of a tea plantation

• Sri Lanka: lightning struck a train in the middle of tea plantations, according to a report by local media, citing eyewitness accounts.
• According to Disaster Management Center data, the number of people injured in the incident is at least 129; the organization also said it was investigating the circumstances.
• For the injured, a team from the Sri Lankan army is providing assistance, including medical support; at least 2,000 people were evacuated.

Sri Lanka: lightning struck a train in the country’s tea-growing region, leaving dozens injured. According to available information, the incident occurred after lightning hit the train, and eyewitnesses said they saw people on board being thrown around.

Two days of intense fighting between two sides in the region have continued: first, the building was hit, then another. The worst situation is in Sri Lanka’s central tea-growing region, where the Disaster Management Center is currently working.

Spokesperson Pradeep Kodippili said that the lightning strike injured people who were on the train at the time. He added that three people were killed, and the rest were injured.

Pradeep Kodippili also said that 129 people were injured and at least 2,000 people were evacuated. For the sake of the injured, the army is providing assistance, including in the air, he said, noting that it is too early to assess the full scale of the incident.

Hiru TV correspondent reported that dozens of passengers were injured. In addition, local residents said that the train was damaged and that the incident happened near a bridge.

According to residents, the number of injured could be higher: the central part of the train was hit, and the passengers were thrown around. The material also notes that the cyclone Ditwa, which has already claimed at least 640 lives, is ongoing, and that damage estimates could reach $4.1 billion.

Tags: Weather