Jamshedpur: Eight-month-old elephant calf killed by train in Chakradharpur, driver detained

Mail News Service

Jamshedpur, Oct 15: An eight-month-old elephant calf was killed after being struck by a freight train near Bandamunda, within the Chakradharpur Railway Division. Following the accident, forest department officials arrived at the scene and detained the assistant driver, Kaviraj Mahato, for questioning. The incident has sparked protests from the train drivers at the Bandamunda crew lobby, who demanded the release of their colleague.

Rourkela DFO Yashwant Sethi commented on the situation, stating that a herd of elephants had been spotted in the area for three days prior to the accident. Despite informing the railway authorities about the presence of the elephants, no significant action was taken to prevent the tragedy. The unfortunate event occurred around 9:30 PM when the herd crossed the railway track, leading to the calf’s death upon impact. The authorities are currently investigating the speed of the train at the time of the incident and are looking into the circumstances surrounding the accident.