Wild elephant, calf fatally struck by train near Walayar on Kerala-Tamil Nadu border
Both elephants became trapped under the locomotive, disrupting train services for several hours. The carcasses were later removed and the track was
A wild elephant and its calf met a tragic end after being struck by a train near Puduppathy on the Walayar-Palakkad forest stretch, located on the border between Kerala and Tamil Nadu, early Thursday morning. The incident occurred around 12.30 a.m. as the Mangaluru-Chennai Superfast Express plowed into the elephants, leaving them entangled under the locomotive and causing significant disruption to train services for several hours.
Responding to the incident, forest officials and police from the Walayar forest range swiftly arrived on the scene to assist in removing the carcasses and clearing the track. Additionally, a veterinary team from Thrissur, comprising a veterinary surgeon, was dispatched to conduct a post-mortem examination on the deceased elephants.
On the Tamil Nadu side, forest officials also made their way to the site to aid in the cleanup efforts. Tragically, this is not the first time elephants have met such a fate near Walayar; in February, another elephant was killed after being hit by a train in the same vicinity. To ensure safety, trains traveling on this stretch at night adhere to reduced speeds due to the presence of elephants and other wildlife in the area.
Written by urgent.news from The Hindu's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — it may contain errors, so check the original before relying on it.
