Elephant and Calf Killed After Being Hit by Mangaluru–Chennai Express Near Walayar

Coimbatore: A mother elephant and her calf were killed after being struck by the Mangaluru–Chennai Express near Walayar on the Kerala side of the Tamil Nadu–Kerala border, late Wednesday night.

The incident occurred at around 11.40 p.m. near the Walayar–Chavadippara Puthupathi railway track, approximately 300 to 400 metres from the Tamil Nadu border. Preliminary information suggests that the elephants were crossing the railway track when the express train approached the stretch.

The train collided with the mother elephant and the calf, causing both to be thrown from the track. They sustained fatal injuries and died at the spot.

Following the incident, Walayar Forest Department officials and railway police reached the location and inspected the site. Forest officials from Walayar and Kerala are jointly investigating the circumstances surrounding the accident.

The incident has renewed concerns over elephant deaths on railway tracks passing through forest areas. Wildlife activists have been calling for stricter speed restrictions on trains operating along stretches adjoining elephant habitats to reduce the risk of such accidents.