Three Elephants Including a Calf Mowed Down by Goods Train in WB

Kolkata: Three elephants, including a six-month-old calf, died when they were hit by a speeding goods train while they were crossing the tracks passing through forests at Rajabhatkhawa in West Bengal’s Alipurduar district on Monday.

One adult female along with a sub-adult male and a calf died of the collision while crossing the tracks between the Rajabhatkhawa and Garopara stations under North East Frontier Railway.

As trains in this section pass through the Buxa Tiger Reserve, Jaldapara, Chapramari and Mahananda forests, which have high elephant populations

According to a railway source, the pilot of a special goods train, travelling from Guwahati to Siliguri, spotted a herd of 10-odd elephants crossing the tracks.  Although the loco pilot used emergency brakes, the fast-moving train first hit the mother elephant, and then the sub-adult male of about 20 months. Finally, the train hit the calf.