BHUBANESWAR: In a tragic incident, three elephants, which were hit by a train near Joda on Thursday evening, succumbed to their injuries on Friday morning.
A forest team led by RCCF Rourkela Arun Kumar Mishra reached the mishap spot for investigation.
Keonjhar DFO Dhamdhere Dhanraj Hanumant said the mishap took place near Banspani Behera Hatting, around 70 km from Keonjhar.
According to forest officials, a herd of 22 elephants was crossing the railway track when a goods train carrying iron ore hit the jumbos.
A female elephant and two calves sustained grievous injuries in the incident and died early on Friday.
Following the mishap, the elephant herd turned aggressive preventing forest personnel from carrying out any rescue operation. The herd which were seen guarding the injured jumbos, later went inside the forests.
Though a veterinary team reached the spot, forest officials said a postmortem wouldn't be required as the cause of death was known. The elephants will be buried in presence of the RCCF and DFO.
Meanwhile, sources said the PCCF Wildlife headquarters has sought a detailed report from the RCCF and DFO regarding the incident for necessary action.
Locals blamed forest officials for the mishap claiming that adequate precautionary measures were not taken though the elephant herd was camping in the nearby forests for the last one week.
The elephants were frequently moving in the corridor due to widespread deforestation and mining activities in Keonjhar region.