Elephant succumbs to injuries after being hit by train; Other elephants block tracks, causing major delays

Elephant dies after being hit by goods train in Latehar district

Daltonganj: A sub-adult elephant that was hit by an empty goods train on Monday evening between Nindra and Mahua Milaan railway stations in Latehar district died during the intervening night, officials said on Tuesday.


The incident occurred when a herd was crossing the tracks. Following the accident, other elephants blocked the railway line for hours, forcing authorities to halt all train movement on the route. The herd also turned aggressive, making it difficult for forest teams to reach the injured elephant and begin treatment, sources said.

The train was on its way to Barkakana when the accident took place near pole number 172/32 under the Dhanbad division of the East Central Railway. According to sources, the injured elephant succumbed to its injuries after battling for more than six hours.

Regional chief conservator of forest (RCCF), Palamu, S R Natesha said, “The injured elephant put up a brave fight. It once rose, walked a few steps, and then died.”

The sub-adult was reportedly the last in the herd to cross the railway line when it was struck. Kumar said, “The engine driver of the goods train informed us about the incident, and we apprehended that there would soon be angry elephants around.”

“My officers told me that the herd chased away anyone who tried to approach the injured elephant,” Natesha added.

Daltonganj railway station superintendent Umesh Kumar said, “Three long-distance trains — the Up Bhopal Express and Down trains such as the Sambalpur–Tata Express and the Santaragachi Express — were diverted.” He added, “Five other important trains, including the Delhi Garib Rath, Tata Express, Patna Express, Varanasi Express and Sasaram Express, ran four to seven hours late.”

Railway sources said services were restored past midnight.

Tori railway station superintendent Kumar said, “DFO Latehar Pravesh Agrawal and I travelled in a light engine to assess the situation before trains were allowed to run under a caution notice.”

Natesha said the forest department will conduct a probe to ascertain the cause of the tragedy.

“There is a definite SOP. The Railways have been asked to enforce speed limits in elephant-prone zones. We have also sought the creation of an elephant control cell to ensure proper communication,” he added.