Woman rescued after being trapped under ‘Podi Manike’ train engine in Hatton

By Ranjith Rajapaksa  

In a dramatic rescue operation, a woman was extricated from under the engine of the “Podi Manike” intercity train after she got trapped, sustaining serious injuries. The incident occurred near the Hatton railway station.
The train, operating on its regular route from Badulla to Colombo Fort, was passing over the railway crossing on the Hatton-Nuwara Eliya main road when the accident took place.   
According to eyewitness from employees at a nearby garage, the train was moving slowly at the time. The seriously injured woman remained trapped between the railway tracks and the engine for a considerable period of time before help arrived.   
The rescue was carried out by a team of garage workers who were joined by the owner of the garage, Hatton-Dickoya Urban Council Chairman Asoka Karunaratne. Together, they managed to free the woman from under the engine compartment.   
Following the rescue, the victim was immediately transported to the Dickoya Base Hospital for emergency medical treatment. The circumstances leading to the woman having got trapped in the engine are currently unknown.