A tourist has died on a legendary rail line in Sri Lanka after leaning out of the train to take a selfie. Olga Perminova, 53, reportedly struck a rock and suffered severe head injuries. The Russian traveller later died in hospital. She had been seen wearing a pink dress while leaning out of the train moments before the tragedy.
She was travelling on the Podi Menike train, renowned for its breathtaking scenery as it passes through lush tea plantations, dense forests, mountainous terrains, and picturesque landscapes.
Perminova “died after falling off the train when attempting to take a selfie while hanging from the train footboard between the Badulla and Hali Ela railway stations,” said a local report citing police. “The woman knocked against a rock, fell off the train and sustained severe injuries.”
The train was en route to Ella, home to the famous Nine Arches Bridge, on a railway line often described as one of the world’s greatest rail journeys. Despite receiving emergency treatment, she succumbed to her head injuries. She was travelling as part of a Russian tour group in Sri Lanka.
