In yet another tragic reminder of the growing conflict between wildlife and railway movement, a tusk-headed elephant died after being hit by a train in the early hours of Sunday near Jalpaiguri’s Khalaigram station in Dhupguri block. A second elephant, severely injured in the same incident, is battling for its life.
Officials from the Jalpaiguri Forest Department and the Alipurduar Railway Division rushed to the spot shortly after the accident. According to forest personnel, the injured elephant has a fractured right foreleg and has been suffering in extreme pain. Locals alleged that there was a delay in providing medical attention, criticising the lack of emergency veterinary infrastructure.
The forest department has now begun treatment and is administering saline to the injured animal.
Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Vikas V, who is currently supervising the response, confirmed the deaths. “An elephant died after being hit by a train in the early hours of the morning. Another was injured,” he said. Forest workers from the Maraghat Range and local police are also on-site managing the situation.
The incident has raised serious concerns about coordination between the forest department and the railways. While elephant deaths due to train collisions had reportedly decreased over the last two years, this fresh case highlights vulnerabilities. On September 24, another elephant was killed after being struck by the Kanchanakanya Express in the Mongpong forest of Kalimpong.
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According to forest officials, a herd of five elephants had entered the Jamalda area two days earlier. Teams had been attempting to guide the herd back into the forest, and it is believed that the animals were returning when the tragic collision occurred. “The two elephants were hit by a goods train near railway pillar 73/7 in the Alipurduar district,” said a forest department official.
Local residents have also raised allegations that the injured calf of the elephant killed earlier was not properly treated. As the injured elephant fights for survival, the incident has reopened debates over the urgent need for stricter coordination, speed regulations, and real-time monitoring systems in elephant movement corridors.
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