A forest worker and a train driver prevented a potentially fatal railway collision involving around 70 wild elephants in Naxalbari near Siliguri, after the worker used a red cloth to signal an approaching long-distance train to stop.
The incident took place in north Bengal as the herd, which included adult male and female elephants as well as several calves, moved through the Naxalbari area. The elephants had first crossed a national highway, prompting the administration and forest officials to temporarily halt vehicle movement on the road.
Forest worker Akash Kerketta reportedly realised that the herd was moving towards a railway line after crossing the highway. He ran to the tracks and saw the Sikim-Mahananda Express approaching from a distance. The elephants were also nearing the railway line, creating a risk of a collision if the train continued at speed.
Kerketta stood on the railway track and repeatedly waved a red cloth to attract the driver’s attention. The driver noticed the signal, began reducing the train’s speed and eventually brought it to a halt at a safe distance, according to the report by Sangbad Pratidin – Bengal.
By then, the elephant herd had moved onto the railway line. The driver also saw the animals and kept the train stopped while they crossed. The elephants subsequently passed over the tracks safely and entered the forest. Forest officials praised Kerketta for his quick response, while the young worker expressed relief that the incident had ended without casualties.
The episode highlights the operational risk created where railway lines intersect elephant movement routes in north Bengal. The region has previously recorded multiple elephant deaths after trains struck animals while they were crossing railway tracks. The report also said that coordination between the railway and forest departments has been discussed as a way to reduce such accidents.
The incident follows another recent case in which a driver’s alertness reportedly helped save several elephants crossing a railway line at night. In the Naxalbari case, the immediate response by the forest worker and the train crew allowed the herd to clear the tracks without loss of wildlife or disruption becoming a larger accident.
The report did not provide details of the train’s exact stopping time, the duration of the halt or any formal operational changes announced after the incident. Further coordination between railway officials and the forest department remains the stated institutional response to the continuing risk of elephant crossings.
