A forest worker and the driver of the Sikkim-Mahananda Express helped prevent a potential rail collision with a herd of around 70 wild elephants in Naxalbari near Siliguri, North Bengal, after the animals moved towards a railway line while crossing the area.
Forest worker Akash Kerketta reportedly noticed that the herd, which had been crossing a national highway, would soon reach the railway tracks. The group included male and female elephants as well as several calves. Road traffic had been stopped temporarily by the administration and forest officials to allow the herd to cross safely.
Kerketta then ran towards the railway line and saw the long-distance Sikkim-Mahananda Express approaching from a distance. With the elephants close to the tracks, he raised and waved a red cloth to attract the driver’s attention and signal the danger.
The driver noticed the warning and began reducing the train’s speed. By the time the elephant herd reached the railway line, the train had been brought to a halt at a safe distance, according to the report by Sangbad Pratidin – Bengal. The elephants then crossed the tracks and entered the forest without any reported casualties.
Forest officials praised Kerketta for his quick response, while the young forest worker expressed relief after the danger had passed. The incident also highlighted the risks faced by wildlife in North Bengal, where elephant herds frequently move between forest areas and cross roads and railway lines.
Several elephants have been killed in the past after being struck by trains while crossing railway tracks in the region. The report said that closer coordination between the forest and railway departments has been discussed as part of efforts to prevent such accidents. In a recent incident, the alertness of a train driver had also helped save elephants crossing a railway line at night.
The latest rescue depended on the timely actions of the forest worker and the train crew. The report did not provide details of any new railway restriction, permanent monitoring system or formal coordination mechanism introduced after the incident. The movement of elephant herds across roads and railway lines remains a continuing safety challenge in North Bengal.
