Tripura: Elephant critically injured in train accident nears recovery

The male elephant that sustained severe injuries after being hit by a train showed signs of improvement on December 30 following initial treatment at Teliamura Sub-division in Khowai district.

Speaking to the media, Khowai District Forest Officer (DFO) Akshay Bhorde, who rushed to the spot late night yesterday, stated that the train was traveling at high speed, and the incident occurred due to the negligence of the locomotive pilot.

The elephant, while crossing the railway track between Teliamura and Mungiakami Railway stations in Khowai District of Tripura, was hit by the speeding train, causing fractures in both its back legs.

The DFO said that a veterinary team from Agartala visited the site today and diagnosed the injured elephant.

“During the treatment, they administered preliminary medicines, including painkillers. It has been 40 hours since the injuries were sustained. Yesterday, when the elephant was injured, we provided it with water and food, but it did not consume them. However, today, it started eating banana trees. We are looking for suitable NGOs for better treatment of the elephant. We have spoken with some NGOs, but further actions will depend on the preliminary report, and a decision will be taken after consulting senior officials. The elephant is now showing improvement,” he added.