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| Friday, 28 January 2005 |
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The tragedy within the tragedy Text and Pix by W. T. J. S. Kaviratne
Just after having a hasty glimpse at the grim spectacle of burying unidentified dead passengers of the ill-fated Matara bound train in a mass grave dug in a remote hamlet at Batapola, I ventured out to comb the villages around Hikkaduwa seeking whoever survived the train tragedy. Family of four comprising two small children, K. T. Naween Madu Sanka (7), an year 2 pupil studying at Saralankara Vidyalaya, Gonapinuwala and his sister K. T. Madushika Kalhari (12), an year-student of the same school, their father K. T. Chandrasiri (44) and their mother Dayani Guruge (41) paid a visit to their mother's relatives at Polonnaruwa on December 22. On the fateful morning of December 26 this family had got into the Matara bound train to reach Hikkaduwa. After a short stop at Ambalangoda station, it proceeded towards Hikkaduwa passing small stations at Kahawa, Thelwatta. Before reaching the next stop at Hikkaduwa, the train came to a sudden halt at Peraliya, a village close to Hikkaduwa station which happened to be their destination only a few kilometres away. Naween revealed what he saw in a very orderly manner, devoid of any fear or inhibitions of their ordeal. When the first tidal wave gushed into their compartment, he had suggested to his mother to vacate the train but mother had consoled him saying that the water would recede soon. Naween said he overheard the passengers telling each other that the train would move soon after the water subsided. Naween said all his family members were holding each other when the water entered their compartment upto their waist during the first flow. Little Naween remembers how their carriage drifted once it separated itself from the rest. He recalled how his father broke open a glass pane of the window and came out of the fallen carriage. Madushika Kalhari, his sister said that the train did not move at all once it stopped there for nearly half an hour before the sighting of water.
After a while people of the village could be seen running towards the train. Then all the passengers in her compartment were saying that a villager was run over by the train and that was why they were running towards the train. At this point, some of the passengers got down from the train. She said on that day the train was fully crowded and they all came standing from Maradana to Peraliya. Later she had seen a huge flow of water rushing towards the train and those who came running got into the train in large numbers. Some of the villagers climbed to even the roof of the train. Many things were seen floating in addition to the villagers. During the first flow of water the area around the train looked like the sea, she said. After a short while, the water subsided and she suggested to her mother that they leave the train. But she preferred to stay in the train. About 15 minutes later, another bigger flow of water rushed in and she felt that their compartment was tilting but by then she could remember holding the rack of the sinking compartment. Water came gushing into the compartment upto her neck, she said. Some passengers broke the window pane and her father came out of the carriage. She could remember how her mother lifted her up to the father through the window. In the same manner her little brother Naween was also rescued. When her father held her mother by her long hair and tried to haul her up through the window, some other passenger who was inside the compartment caught her legs tightly, in order to come out along with her. But half way up she got stuck and could not be rescued. Both of them Naween and Madushika slipped into the water but their father grabbed them. Madushika explained how her father carried his brother on his shoulder while holding her hand tightly through the rubble and fallen trees, to a safer area. W. Vajira Panditha is the owner of 'Isuru Pharmacy', Gonapinuwala who still believes his two children are alive. His wife Sumithra Chandra Kanthi Liyanage (40), his daughter Hiruni Tharaka Panditha (8), year 2 pupil of Southlands College, Galle and his son Isuru Udana Panditha (13), an year 8 pupil of Richmond College, Galle paid a visit to his wife's home at Ganemulla. Vajira Panditha had not ventured on this visit. On December 26 his wife and two children left for Hikkaduwa on this ill-fated train bound to Matara. Around 8.30 in the morning, according to Vajira, his son Isuru had given him a call using his cellular phone that their train arrived at Kalutara North station. When Vajira was in his pharmacy, around 9.30 in the morning, people were seen running in panic along the Gonapinuwala-Hikkaduwa Road shouting about tidal waves.
Remembering the message given by his son about their coming in the train he tried to reach Hikkaduwa but before reaching Hikkaduwa he was prevented going further by the people gathered on the wayside. Just after half an hour he managed to reach Hikkaduwa. He also remembered the announcement made over the radio and television that the Matara bound train had arrived safely at Hikkaduwa station. He had tried to talk to the Hikkaduwa Station Master but without referring to the Matara bound train he said no train had left Kalutara or Panadura. Vajira said the Station Master who was on duty on 26th was very rude and appeared to be under the influence of liquor. As he failed to gather any information from the Hikkaduwa Station Master, he had returned to his pharmacy at Gonapinuwala. A little later he came to know of the fate of the train. As all the roads were covered thickly with rubble and fallen trees he found it extremely difficult to reach Peraliya where the train mishap took place. When Vajira and his friends and relatives reached Peraliya it was dark and they had to abandon their attempt to trace the missing family members. As later revealed by his relations in Ganemulla around 9.30 on the morning of the 26th, his son had given a call to his mother's place as he failed to contact him at Gonapinuwala. He had requested them to convey the message to his father that they should be rescued from the train. Vajira said he was able to identify the body of his wife around 9.30 p.m. on December 27 but to-date he has failed to trace his two small children. Kumudu Priyantha (38), a fisherman living at Peraliya lost his family of five because his way to his house was blocked by the train and instead of going to his house he left his 2 year old child and wife in the guard wagon of the train, and tried to search for the other children left at home. In this manner he lost wife K. H. Chitrani (29), youngest child Tharushika Hansani (2) inside the guard wagon. He could not find the bodies of his other three children, Chamila Krishani (13), an year 7 student of Jinarathana Vidyalaya, Peraliya, Ruvini Priyadhashani (11), an year 5 pupil and Maheshika Randeepani, an year 3 pupil. |
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