Jumbo attack on pilgrim bus

Several persons were injured after a wild elephant attacked a bus carrying pilgrims from Anuradhapura to Kataragama earlier this week. The vehicle was also extensively damaged in the incident.

The bus was travelling to Situlpawiwa Puda Bima-Kataragama at that time of the incident.

The driver of the bus was quoted as saying that the frightened passengers had fled into the nearby forest while the tusker continued to attack the vehicle. The assistant driver of the bus was seriously wounded in the attack as he made a futile attempt to scare the tusker. The tusker was later identified as ‘Gamunu’ from the Yala Forest that had been earlier tamed.