An elephant was critically injured after being struck by a train between Sunakhan and Sagara railway stations in Sundargarh district, Odisha.
The accident occurred around 5 AM when the Garib Rath Express was passing through the area. The elephant was reportedly crossing the tracks when it was hit, falling severely injured onto the railway line.
The collision disrupted train services temporarily as the injured elephant lay on the tracks. Upon receiving the alert, personnel from the Government Railway Police (GRP) and Railway Protection Force (RPF) arrived at the scene. The forest department and senior railway officials were informed and quickly mobilized a veterinary team to provide emergency treatment.
Rajgangpur Range Officer Gurucharan Mandal, along with forest staff, coordinated efforts to lift the elephant into a train wagon for transfer to Bhubaneswar for advanced medical care. The animal received preliminary treatment on-site before being moved.
This incident has raised concerns about wildlife safety near railway corridors and the need for better mitigation strategies to prevent such accidents.
