In the sixth such incident in less than a month, a 10-year-old elephant was killed on Saturday after a train hit the tusker on the Walayar-Ettimadai section close to Coimbatore border in Kerala.
The Times of India reported:
Kerala state forest department officials said the tusker was crossing the railway track just 1km away from Walayar railway station when the Kollam-Vishakapatnam weekly express knocked it down at around 5am. In the impact, the tusker was thrown 100m away from the track. The elephant sustained multiple injuries in the accident and died of pulmonary hemorrhage.
A case has been registered against the loco pilot of the train.
"As per railway instructions, all trains should maintain the speed of 45 kmph during night and 65 kmph during the day. If drivers violated it, they should be punished appropriately,” N I Jalaluddin, president of Nature Conservation Society , Coimbatore told TOI.