Train runs over, kills 3 elephants in West Bengal

The two elephant calves and their mother were knocked down by the Kharagpur-Adra Passenger at around 7.30pm.

Three elephants died on Friday night after being hit by a train in South-Eastern Railway’s Bankura-Howrah section in West Bengal.

The two elephant calves and their mother were knocked down by the Kharagpur-Adra Passenger at around 7.30pm. (HT file photo)

Divisional forest officer, Panchet, Ayan Ghosh told PTI two elephant calves and their mother were knocked down by the Kharagpur-Adra Passenger at around 7.30pm.

The train moved on but the jumbos’ mutilated carcasses spread across the tracks between Bisnupur in Bankura and Piyardoba in West Midnapore for over two hours disrupting train movement in the section, the DFO said.

The pachyderm family was crossing the track, skirted by dense forest on both sides, when the mishap occurred. The carcasses were removed from the tracks by the forest and rail personnel with the help of locals after which train movement was fully restored, he said.