Three elephants died in a train accident on Monday after a parcel train hit them in the forest of Buxa Tiger Reserve in West Bengal.
The incident took place in the wee hours, near Shikari Gate between Rajabhatkhawa and Kalchini railway stations. One baby and two adult elephants were hit by a train resulting in their death, NDTV reported.
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Video footage revealed one of the three elephants trapped under the train with multiple cut marks on its body. Such incidents involving elephant deaths due to train collisions are relatively common in India.
Earlier this year, a pregnant elephant was struck by a goods train while trying to cross a railway track within the Chapramari Reserve Forest in Alipurduar district, West Bengal.
Government data indicates an average of 20 elephant deaths annually due to train collisions in India. Considering West Bengal is home to around 2 per cent of the country’s elephant population, railway accidents significantly contribute to unnatural elephant fatalities. Authorities have been actively working to prevent such tragic incidents.