The collision took place in Minneriya, about 20 miles from Colombo, an area known for its national park and wildlife.
The conductor tells that the herd of about 20 elephants suddenly tried to cross the railway track.
They were about ten meters away. We braked as hard as we could, but there was not much to do. At least four elephants were knocked over.
VJ Jackson, who lives in Minneriya, tells that they went to the accident site after hearing a tooting train and "screaming elephants".
We saw elephants lying everywhere.
Two of the train's carriages derailed in connection with the collision, but no human was injured. The injured elephant could later be returned to its herd.
