It is likely that other elephants were also injured, authorities in West Bengal say

Nov 14, 2013 15:01 GMT  ·  By

This past Wednesday, a train speeding through West Bengal's Jalpaiguri district hit an elephant herd, and killed a total of six animals.

Of the elephants that died in this tragic accident, two were calves. What's more, it appears that several other members of the herd were injured.

An investigation into this incident is ongoing, and authorities are expected to determine whether or not the train was going a tad too fast than it was supposed to, given the fact that the area it was traveling through is crisscrossed by elephant corridors.

According to The Hindu, Forest Minister Hiten Barman is quite convinced that the elephants' death could have easily been avoided.

“The incident is a result of callousness on the part of the Railways. There is a clear restriction on speed. But we have reports that the Guwahati-bound Kabiguru Express was running at a higher speed,” the Forest Minister told the press.

In the aftermath of this incident, the route remained closed for about 7-8 hours.