Dhenkanal: A female elephant was killed after being hit by a goods train in Dhenkanal district Friday, a forest official said.
The incident took place when a herd of elephants was crossing the tracks between Dhenkanal and Dandimal, the official said. The pachyderm, aged about 10 years, was hit by a goods train going towards Talcher from Dhenkanal.
Additional Chief Conservator of Forest, Jitendranath Das, along with other officials reached the spot and initiated an investigation into the incident, the forest official said.
Train services on the route were affected in the wake of the incident with the Puri-Talcher passenger left stranded at Dhenkanal railway station, it was learnt.
Frequent incidents of elephants being hit by trains is a major cause of concern for wildlife conservationists. In a similar incident, a female elephant was killed after being hit by a train near Ramachandrapur in Keonjhar district in November last year.
PNN