LPL 2021: Elephant attack in Sri Lanka kills two ground staff members

Two ground staff members of the Sooriyawewa Stadium in Hambantota were reported dead in what is believed to be an elephant attack.

The Sri Lanka Board of Cricket on Saturday (December 18) informed that two ground staff members were attacked by an elephant and died near the Sooriyawewa Stadium in Hambantota. The attack is believed to have taken place at night on December 14.

The details of this horrific incident have not been disclosed fully, but it is being speculated that the incident is a result of a sole elephant. The bodies of two staff members, who were returning home via cycle after work around 9 pm, were found several metres apart.

The incident occurred near the stadium, a week prior to the Lanka Premier League matches shifting from Colombo to Hambantota for the knock-out stages and Final. The Eliminator and first Qualifier will take place on December 19.

Elephant attacks are common in rural Sri Lanka with the human-elephant conflict a longstanding issue. This problem has been a major headache for Sri Lanka since the end of the 30-yea-old civil war in 2009 following which the country's development plans saw areas previously straddled by native wildlife encroached upon by humans resulting in habitat loss.

Notably, Hambantota is one of the areas which has been most affected as last year, 10 elephants and 4 humans were killed in the area solely. The place which was once known for its wildlife, it's now in the middle of a major development plan. The place has a port, highway and airport. The new city is also reportedly using up to 20,000 acres of land.

The government is planning for an elephant management zone but it's still a work in progress. Earlier this year, the Hambantota farmers protested about the same issue.