Three elephants died, hit by goods train

Kolkata: Three elephants died in a collision with a goods train at Rajabhat Khawa in Alipurduar district of West Bengal. State forest department sources said the collision with the Siliguri-bound train occurred on Monday morning when the three elephants were crossing the rail corridor at Rajabhat Khawa.

Railway and State Forest Department officials immediately reached the spot. Train services were disrupted for a long time after the accident. The engine of the goods train has been seized for investigation. Medical examination of the loco-pilots will also be conducted to check whether they were under the influence of alcohol at the time of the accident or not. Earlier this year, the Railways had announced the installation of Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS) on the railway tracks passing through the elephant corridor, so that loco-pilots can be alerted in case of presence of elephants near the railway tracks.

In August this year, a pregnant elephant died after being hit by a train in West Bengal. In this regard, several rounds of discussions have taken place between Railway and State Forest Department officials.