Seven Buddhist monks, including one from India, died when a cable-operated rail cart overturned at the Na Uyana Aranya Senasanaya monastery in northwestern Sri Lanka, police said on Thursday. Six others were injured in the incident, which took place on Wednesday night at the forest monastery in Nikaweratiya, about 125 kilometres from Colombo.
Authorities confirmed that among the deceased were monks from India, Russia, and Romania, while the remaining victims were Sri Lankan nationals. Four of the six injured monks remained in critical condition. Preliminary reports suggested that the cable-driven cart lost control while descending the incline, and Sri Lankan police are investigating the cause of the crash.
Images from the site showed monks gathered on a steep forested hillside near the rail cart’s track, which ran parallel to a winding stone staircase used by residents and visitors to access the monastery’s higher grounds.
The Na Uyana Aranya Senasanaya monastery, known for its meditation retreats and spiritual training, is considered one of Sri Lanka’s most prominent Buddhist forest complexes. Tracing its origins back to the 3rd century BCE, it is one of the oldest surviving forest monasteries in the country. Today, more than 200 monks live within its grounds, which span a large forest area and provide space for meditation retreats.
