Forest guard waves a red cloth to stop a train as 70 elephants cross in Bengal
A herd of more than 70 elephants was crossing a railway line in north Bengal. A train was coming. Forest guard Akash Kerketta ran onto the line and waved a red cloth. The train stopped, and the herd crossed.
16 October 2026
Stills from the video shared by Parveen Kaswan on X, via India Today
It was the afternoon of Saturday 10 October at Naxalbari, in the Terai of north Bengal. A herd of more than 70 elephants, with calves among them, was on the move. They were going from the Tukriajhar forest to the Bagdogra forest. Their path crosses the Bagdogra to Naxalbari railway line beside the Kiranchandra tea garden.
Akash Kerketta works for the Kurseong forest division. He saw the herd heading for the line. Then he saw the Sikkim Mahananda Express coming.
The red cloth
Kerketta stood by the tracks and waved a red cloth at the train. He kept waving until the drivers saw him. They slowed the train and brought it to a stop.
The whole herd crossed the line safely. Only then did the train move on.
The video
The Indian Forest Service officer Parveen Kaswan shared a video of it on X on 11 October. India Today reported that it went viral.
This is how heroes look like in real life. See how Akash Kerketta, a forest staff of Kurseong division averted a major accident.Parveen Kaswan, on X
The forests around Bagdogra, Naxalbari and Tukriajhar are a known elephant corridor. The herds move between them for food and shelter, across railways, roads and tea gardens. Forest staff watch the crossings for this reason.
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