Boy dies from elephant attack

By Isuri Kaviratne

The 5-year-old boy, who was travelling in the van which was attacked by an elephant in Karuwalagaswewa, succumbed to his injuries last afternoon.

A group of 11 in a van were on their way to Katunayake airport from Jaffna when the vehicle hit an elephant standing on the road at Karuwalagaswewa. The OIC of Karuwalagaswewa Police Nuwan Perera said that after the collision, the elephant, along with the van, had got dragged along the road for approximately 10 feet, after which the panicked elephant had attacked the vehicle, smashing the front of the van, resulting in one death. The deceased were seated on the front seat of the van.

The incident took place yesterday around 2.30am. Nine others were wounded, including three children, Police said.

"The area in which the attack took place is gloomy, and the driver hadn't seen the elephant. There was a similar accident in the same area, nine months ago," Perera said.