Coimbatore: A 25-year-old male wild elephant was brutally injured after it was hit by a speeding train and dragged to some distance near Walayar on the Tamil Nadu–Kerala border, early on Monday.

The very large elephant with thick skin was hit by the Thiruvananthapuram-Chennai Express and was dragged for about 100 metres along the track before it fell to the slope on the left side. Forest Department officials said the accident occurred at around 0130 hrs on track ‘B’ through which trains move from Palakkad to Coimbatore.

The accident spot on track B was situated outside the reserve forest area of the Madukkarai forest range of the Coimbatore Forest Division, and close to the inter-State border and near a waterbody. A curve on the track has affected the visibility of the loco pilot at the location.

After being informed about the accident, the frontline staff of the forest department rushed to the spot. A veterinary team led by N.S. Manoharan, Regional Joint Director of Veterinary Services (retired) examined the elephant.

They said the tusker’s hip is severely injured and it is unable to move its hind legs. “It could have also suffered internal injuries in the impact of the accident,” they said.

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