Three elephants, including two calves, were run over by an express train near Banstala railway station in West Bengal‘s Paschim Midnapore district, police said on Friday (July 18, 2025).

The incident, which took place on Thursday (July 17) night, occurred when an elephant herd that probably came from Jharkhand’s Dalma forest was traversing, they said.

The three pachyderms were mowed on the tracks by a speeding Janshatabdi Express on the Kharagpur-Tatanagar section, a police officer said.

It was difficult to go near the carcasses for some time, as the herd of 30 elephants was passing through the area, he said.

Investigation is underway.