Palakkad: A female elephant and her calf were killed early on Thursday after being struck by a train at Puduppady in Walayar, near the Kerala-Tamil Nadu border.

The accident occurred at around 12.30 am when the elephants were crossing the railway tracks near Puduppady. The Mangaluru-Chennai Express, which was passing through the area, hit the animals.

The mother and calf were reportedly returning from a human habitation area in Chavadippara when they were struck. Following the collision, their carcasses were dragged for about 50 metres along the tracks before becoming lodged beneath the engine.

Forest Department officials from both Kerala and Tamil Nadu rushed to the scene. A team led by Walayar Range Officer R S Praveen, along with senior railway officials, including Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) Madhukar Raut, arrived at the spot.

After the carcasses were removed from the tracks, the train resumed its journey following a 20-minute halt.

Authorities said the train's relatively low speed while passing through the forest area prevented a derailment, averting a potentially larger disaster.

The accident is not an isolated one. A similar incident was reported a few months ago, when another elephant was killed after being struck by a train near the Walayar Deer Park.

The area, which falls under the jurisdiction of the Walayar Forest Range, has been undergoing railway fencing works. The measure is expected to help prevent such incidents in the future.