Sri Lanka’s Transport Minister Bandula Gunawardena along with senior Railway officials expressed condolences over the death of a youth forced to travel on the roof of an overcrowded train due to a railway strike today.
Cabinet Spokesman Bandula Gunawardena and the senior Railway officials expressed their condolences prior to commencing the Weekly Cabinet Press Briefing held in Colombo.
Addressing the Cabinet Press Briefing today, the Minister said that 84 railway employees engaged in the strike must take responsibility for the youth’s death.
The 20-year-old youth who had travelled on the roof of a train plying from Kandy to Colombo had died after falling over due to knocking onto the ceiling of the Horape Railway Station this morning.
At least 20 train services were cancelled due to a strike launched by the Sri Lanka Locomotive Operating Engineers Union resulting in overcrowding of operating trains.
Commenting on the strike, Transport Minister Bandula Gunawardena further said that he will request the President within the day to declare the Railway Services as an essential service from midnight today.
The minister added that a Gazette notification in this regard will also be issued accordingly. (NewsWire)
