A goods train travelling from Pipavav Port toward Dhasa struck a pair of Asiatic lions at approximately 60-70 kmph on the rail route between Damnagar and Liliya. The collision happened early Thursday near Ingorala village, specifically between electric pole numbers 18/9 and 18/8. One lion suffered a catastrophic injury, with a portion of its tail severed and found abandoned on the tracks by forest officials.
The freight train halted immediately following the alert from railway authorities. Forest department trackers, working to secure the area, confirmed direct contact with the locomotive by recovering the severed tail fragment. Bloodstains and paw marks led the team to believe the injured animal had fled into the nearby agricultural fields despite its severe wound.
The Pipavav-Dhasa corridor is a well-documented wildlife movement zone where big cats frequently cross between coastal and inland habitats. Despite existing protocols like fencing and track patrols, such collisions persist. Forest officials are now reviewing train speed norms and vigilance measures along this sensitive stretch.
Search operations are ongoing in the surrounding scrubland and farmlands. Local villagers and farmers have been advised to remain alert. A formal inquiry into the incident has been launched, and emergency veterinary care is the immediate priority for tracking teams.