On November 11, a Korean tourist’s attempt to capture a selfie from a moving train led to a serious accident near Haputale railway station. Sholy Tong Bae, a 61-year-old visitor, was traveling on the Badulla-bound Udarata Menike express when he leaned out from the footboard, accidentally colliding with an iron post on the railway boundary. He sustained severe head injuries and was initially taken to Diyathalawa Hospital before being transferred in critical condition to Badulla Teaching Hospital.
In a separate incident, a young woman from Ratgama, traveling to Ella, also faced misfortune as she attempted to board a moving train after taking a selfie on the platform. After disembarking briefly, she tried to re-enter the train as it began to move, resulting in her falling and suffering significant injuries to her lower limb. She was also admitted to Badulla Teaching Hospital.
Dr. Palitha Rajapakse, Senior Medical Officer in the Emergency Treatment Unit, emphasized the rising trend of selfie-related injuries among tourists and called for increased safety measures from railway officials. The OIC of Haputale Police, CI Sepala Ratnayake, is currently investigating these incidents.
