Signal failure: Railway crossings now death traps due to power outages
Railway crossings have become a death trap for many as the number of deaths reported is rising due to the failure of signal lights caused by hours-long power outages.
On Friday, an 11 year old boy was killed when a minivan collided with a Jaffna bound express train at an unprotected railway crossing near Mirusuvil in Kodikaamam.
The boy's father and the brother who were also in the van were admitted to
Jaffna Teaching Hospital. They had sustained severe injuries.
It was the sixth accident at the same spot which took a life, despite locals demanding railway authorities to fix signals at the crossing or appoint a dedicated railway guard. No action has been taken.
After the accident, angry villagers halted the train briefly by placing massive stones on the railway tracks to protest about the authorities' failure to ensure the safety of road users.
On Tuesday, an Army soldier who was on duty was killed in a railway accident near an unprotected railway crossing at Sankaththanai in Chavakachcheri.
Last Saturday, a father and son were killed when their motorcycle collided with a train at the Bambalapitiya-Wellawatte railway crossing as signal lights were not functioning due to a power outage.