2004 Sri Lanka tsunami train wreck facts for kids
The 2004 Sri Lanka tsunami train wreck was a very sad event. It was the biggest train disaster ever, based on how many people died. A huge natural disaster, the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, caused it.
The Matara Express Train
Train number 50 was called the Matara Express. People also knew it as the "Queen of the Sea" line. This train traveled regularly between Colombo, the capital city of Sri Lanka, and Matara. On December 26, 2004, the train left Colombo. It had more than 1800 passengers on board, which was a lot of people.
How the Tsunami Hit the Train
At about 9:30 in the morning, the train was near the village of Peraliya. Suddenly, giant waves from the tsunami started coming towards the beach. The first wave flooded the train's carriages. This caused a lot of fear among the passengers inside.
About ten minutes later, an even bigger wave arrived. This powerful wave lifted the entire train. It then crashed the train into nearby trees and houses. The force of the water was immense.
The Impact and Rescue Efforts
The huge tsunami waves caused terrible damage to the train. Out of more than 1800 passengers, only about 150 people survived. Sadly, around 1700 people were reported to have died. Many bodies were never found because of the powerful waves.
For a while, authorities in Sri Lanka did not know where the train had gone. Later that afternoon, around 4 PM, a helicopter belonging to Prime Minister Rajapaksa found the train. Rescue operations began quickly. However, as mentioned, only a small number of people survived. The village of Peraliya was also badly damaged by the deadly waves.
