2004 Sri Lanka tsunami train wreck

2004 Sri Lanka tsunami train wreck
One of the cars following the wreck
Map
Details
DateDecember 26, 2004; 19 years ago (2004-12-26)
LocationPeraliya, Hikkaduwa
CountrySri Lanka
LineCoastal line
OperatorSri Lanka Railways
Incident typeFlood
CauseTsunami caused by 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake
Statistics
Trains1 Train (No. 50)
DeathsExact figures unknown, at least 900, most likely 1,700+
Injured100+

The 2004 Sri Lanka tsunami train wreck is the largest single rail disaster in world history by death toll, with 1,700 fatalities or more. It occurred when a crowded passenger train (No 50, Matara Express) was destroyed on a coastal railway in Sri Lanka by a tsunami that followed the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake. The tsunami subsequently caused over 30,000 reported deaths and billions of rupees in property damage in the coastal areas of Sri Lanka.