Four elephants including one tusker were killed after being run over by a speeding train in Odisha’s Jharsuguda district during the early hours of Monday.
“The accident is believed to have occurred at around 3.30 a.m. and 4 a.m. when a herd of elephants was crossing the railway line near Bagdihi Railway Station,” Sushant Kumar, Divisional Forest Officer of Jharsuguda Territorial Division, told over phone.
The elephants were hit by the Bokaro-Allepy Express, railway sources said.
“Although there was no elephant movement in the area for the past three to four months, the railway authorities were duly informed to reduce train speed in that section. Besides, they were also requested to follow guidelines including making continuous hooting along the stretch,” said Mr. Kumar.
“The death of four elephants is a tragic incident. While forest department appears to be not sincere in identifying sections in which elephant movements are frequent, trains continue to move fast through elephant corridors,” Biswajit Mohanty, environmentalist and former member of National Board for Wildlife, said.
He demanded that responsibility should be fixed on both forest and railway authorities.
Train movements along Howrah-Mumbai down line were affected as carcasses of elephant were lying on the track for four hours. Trains including Bokaro-Allepy Express, Tapaswini Express were halted at Jharsuguda Station.
Since April 2010, as many as 15 elephants have been killed after being hit by speeding trains in Odisha.
