Now Reading: Elephant and calf killed by train near Kerala-Tamil Nadu border
-
01
Elephant and calf killed by train near Kerala-Tamil Nadu border
A wild elephant and its calf were killed when the Mangaluru-Chennai Superfast Express hit them near Puduppathy on the Walayar-Palakkad forest stretch around 12.30 am on Thursday. The accident occurred on the…
The Story in Brief
A wild elephant and its calf were killed when the Mangaluru-Chennai Superfast Express hit them near Puduppathy on the Walayar-Palakkad forest stretch around 12.30 am on Thursday. The accident occurred on the Tamil Nadu side of the Kerala-Tamil Nadu border, disrupting train services for hours. Carcasses were dragged nearly 50 metres along the track.
Kerala and Tamil Nadu forest officials, including Walayar range officer R.S. Praveen and railway DRM Madhukar Raut, inspected the site. The New Indian Express reports that railway fencing in the area is under construction. Trains on this stretch already travel at reduced speeds at night due to wildlife presence. In February, another elephant was killed by a train near Walayar.
The Indian Opinion
World Elephant Day passed, and within hours a mother and calf were dead on the track at Walayar. Both forest departments and Railways were on site swiftly, yet fencing in a known elephant corridor remains incomplete. The real test is whether this incident accelerates construction or gets filed away. How many more carcasses will be dragged 50 metres before the line is fully sealed?
Sources (2): thehindu.com, newindianexpress.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources.
