August 03, Colombo (LNW): Following an alert regarding the opening of the spill gates at the Kotmale Reservoir, steps were taken to evacuate all staff on duty at the Gampola and Geliya Railway Stations from the premises.
The Station Masters’ Union informed that the train scheduled to run from Navalapitiya to Watawala at 1:45 PM was cancelled, while train operations between Nanu Oya and Badulla are proceeding as normal.
Due to the prevailing adverse weather conditions, a section of a tea estate near the Watawala Railway Station collapsed onto the station, causing severe damage to the station building.
Although railway employees did not suffer major injuries, a portion of the mound of earth trapped the legs of the Station Master on duty. He was safely rescued from the location and moved to a safe place.
Meanwhile, it is reported that the signaling system belonging to the Watawala Railway Station has been damaged, and the station buildings are at risk of collapsing.