COLOMBO, May 24 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka will secure over 300 unprotected level crossings across the country's rail tracks that cover 1,610 km, a government minister said here on Wednesday.
Minister of Transport and Highways Bandula Gunawardena told parliament that it will be done in two months, and it will cost 1 million rupees (3,280 U.S. dollars) to secure each level crossing.
The minister said that a large number of people are killed or seriously injured each year in accidents that take place on unprotected level crossings.
There are 1,177 level crossings in the country, among which 437 crossings have been secured with a color light system and 434 have been secured with a bell and light system, with 306 crossings being unprotected, Gunawardena said.
Around 200 people died from train accidents in Sri Lanka in 2022, according to official statistics. ■