Rail services on the Barkakana–Barwadih section in Jharkhand were severely disrupted on Tuesday evening after a tragic incident involving a herd of elephants led to a blockade of the tracks for nearly four-and-a-half hours.
The incident occurred between Amilan and Nidra stations near Putri Tola village under Chandwa police station limits in Latehar district.
Around 7:30 pm, an elephant calf was critically injured after being hit by a freight train. The calf later succumbed to its injuries late at night.
Following the accident, a herd of elephants gathered on the railway tracks in apparent distress and refused to move, bringing train operations to a complete halt.
Forest department officials rushed to the spot and attempted to drive the herd away by lighting torches. However, the elephants remained stationed on the tracks for several hours.
It was only after midnight, around 12 am, that the herd was safely guided away, allowing train services to gradually resume. Operations on the up line were restored at 12:20 am.
The disruption forced several key trains to be halted at different stations. The Ranchi–Delhi Garib Rath Express remained stranded at Ray station from 7:54 pm, while the Tata Vande Bharat Express was stopped at Tori from 7:48 pm.
The Palamu Express was held up at Khalari from 7:35 pm. The Jammu Tawi Express and the Howrah–Bhopal Express were detained at Barkakana station.
The Sasaram Intercity Express was stopped at Hendegir, and the Ranchi–Banaras Express was halted at Ramgarh Cantt.
Passengers faced significant inconvenience due to the sudden stoppage. Travelers aboard the Palamu Express at Khalari reported that the train remained stationary for over three hours.
With the air conditioning in AC coaches shut down, passengers experienced suffocating conditions. The absence of a pantry car further compounded difficulties, forcing many to purchase biscuits and snacks from small station stalls, while others arranged food from nearby acquaintances.
Also read: Security alert in Jharkhand over threat to MLAs, ministers
Follow us
