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4w ago

Express Train Kills Three Elephants on Jharkhand–Bengal Migratory Route

Separate inquiries follow claims that an 11 pm warning of elephant movement didn’t lead to speed restrictions

Animal rights activists have alleged that hulla teams (villagers engaged by the forest department to drive away elephants) were chasing the elephants when they moved to the railway tracks
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Overview

  • A Janshatabdi Express struck and killed three elephants—including two calves—on July 18 near Banstala station in Paschim Midnapore as a herd migrating from Dalma forest tried to cross the tracks.
  • State Forest Minister Birbaha Hansda says forest officials alerted rail authorities around 11 pm, while Indian Railways insists it received no formal communication before the collision.
  • Indian Railways’ Divisional Railway Manager Nishant Kumar and Divisional Forest Officer Umar Imam have each launched probes to establish accountability and review protocol lapses.
  • Conservationists and the All India Loco Running Staff Association are advocating for AI-powered intrusion detection systems, dedicated underpasses and enforceable speed limits in key elephant corridors.
  • The collision comes after a pattern of recurring fatalities along the Kharagpur–Tatanagar corridor, highlighting tensions between rail expansion and endangered elephant migrations.