Tragedy at the Track: Elephant Killed by Train in Betnoti

A tragic incident unfolded when a 25-year-old tusker was fatally injured by a train at Agria level crossings in the Betnoti forest range late Saturday night.

The collision happened as the Shalimaar-Baripada Express train traversed near Jugal railway station, where a herd of elephants from Simlipal National Park had been residing in recent days. Baripada Divisional Forest Officer Gobind Chandra Nayak inspected the scene and confirmed a postmortem is being conducted, with an investigation underway.

No statement has been released by railway authorities, while witnesses suggest the elephant was unable to escape due to the closed level crossing gate as the train approached the station.