Jumbo Deaths On Tracks: Four Forest Personnel Suspended

Jharsuguda: Two days after four elephants were mowed down by a speeding train near Teldihi level crossing under Bagadihi Forest Range in Jharsuguda district, Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Sushant Kumar on Wednesday suspended four forest personnel for dereliction of duty.

Those suspended include forester Basant Pradhan and three forest guards – Sunil Bhoi, Biswanath Pradhan and Rohit Majhi. The DFO has also served a show cause notice on the range officer (RO).

On the other hand, the Forest Department has written to Jharsuguda Station Manager and Chakradharpur Divisional Railway Manager (DRM), seeking action against the driver of the train and other officials responsible for the mishap.

In the early hours of Monday, a herd comprising of a tusker, two female elephants and a calf was hit by the speeding train. They died on the spot. The impact of the collision was so severe that the carcasses of the four elephants were found at least 30 feet away from the tracks, where the mishap took place.

It was alleged that driver ignored the directives, which they are required to follow while passing through elephant corridors, of keeping the speed limit to 30kmph and constantly blow horn to alert the pachyderms.