The elephants — three females, a tusker and a calf besides a foetus — were killed after being hit by the Chennai-bound Coromondal superfast express at around 1 am, official sources said. A female elephant was in the advanced stages of pregnancy and the impact of the hit forced the foetus to come out. Ranjit Jena, a bed-roll assistant working with a Chennai-based private contractor, was also found dead, though it was still unclear as to how he died during the mishap, railway officers said.
Divisional forest officer, Berhampur, S S Mishra said the elephants were crossing the tracks when the train hit them one after the other, killing them on the spot. Prior to the mishap, forest staff had driven out the herd from Dumanagiri jungle, he added. The DFO said around 20 elephants from Chandaka elephant sanctuary near Bhubaneswar had migrated to the area a few months ago. They were roaming in the Chilika wildlife division area and Khallikote range of Berhampur forest division after splitting into two to three groups. A herd comprising 12 elephants had crossed the railway track before the accident, he said.
The accident, which marked the most number of pachyderm deaths in a railway mishap in Odisha, took place between Humma and Rambha railway stations (between Khurda Road and Berhampur) under the Khurda Road railway division of East Coast Railway (ECoR), possibly due to poor visibility caused by foggy conditions, official sources said.
Train services between Berhampur and Bhubaneswar were disrupted on the fateful track for about seven hours after the accident as some portions of the line were damaged. "Railway services were restored at about 7.45 am after the track was repaired and the carcasses removed," said a railway officer. The Howrah-Chennai Coromondal Express also left the place and proceeded towards its destination after a halt at Berhampur station, where the partially damaged engine was replaced.
Forest and environment minister Bijayshree Routray expressed shock over the mishap and said: "I have information that 10 days ago the range officer, Khallikote, had informed railway authorities that an elephant herd is likely to cross over the track anytime in the night. A month back the state government had also provided fluorescent signages reading 'elephant crossing zone', which railway officers had put up between the 10-km stretch connecting Rambha and Ganjam stations. Despite all this, such a tragedy took place." He said he has convened a meeting with railway officers on Monday and if required would urge chief minister Naveen Patnaik to take up the matter with the Centre.
On May 18, a female elephant had died near the same spot after being hit by a goods train. Other animals, including a wild boar, have also been killed in train accidents in the area in recent times, sources said.
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