Three elephants were tragically killed in a horrifying accident involving a parcel train in the Buxa Tiger Reserve forest in West Bengal. The incident occurred early in the morning, around 7 am, near Shikhari Gate between Rajabhatkhawa and Kalchini railway stations. The collision resulted in the deaths of one baby elephant and two adult elephants.
Video footage captured the devastating sight of one of the elephants trapped under the train, with multiple cut marks on its body. This incident, which took place in the West Rajabhatkhawa range of the tiger reserve in Alipurduar district, is unfortunately not an isolated event. Train collisions leading to the deaths of elephants are fairly common in India.
Earlier this year, a pregnant elephant was also hit by a goods train while attempting to cross a railway track within the Chapramari Reserve Forest in Alipurduar district, West Bengal. These incidents highlight the ongoing issue of train collisions causing the deaths of elephants in the country.
Government data reveals that an average of 20 elephants die annually in India due to train collisions. With West Bengal being home to approximately 2% of the country’s elephant population, railway accidents remain a significant cause of unnatural elephant deaths in the region. The government has been actively working to address this issue and prevent future incidents.
