Two dead in van-train collision

Two persons on board a van died on the spot in a van-train collision at Aryalai in Jaffna on Thursday night.

According to Jaffna Police sources, the van had crashed into the Express train plying from Colombo to Jaffna killing two persons onboard of the vehicle.

The victims were residents from the Southern Province who had arrived in Jaffna on Tuesday. The train had dragged the vehicle for over 50 metres and Police said what led to the collision is still under investigation.

Area residents had extricated them out of the vehicle with great effort. Residents say that the signal lights fixed at the railway crossing were not functioning due to the power cuts which were effective when the mishap occurred.