Palakkad: A young adult male elephant was killed after being struck by a train in Kerala’s Palakkad district, forest officials said on Wednesday.

The animal was found dead on a railway track near the Walayar area in the early hours of the day. Officials said the elephant had been hit by a passing train.

Following the incident, teams from the forest department and the railways rushed to the spot. Trains are required to operate at restricted speeds through this forested stretch, and authorities have launched an investigation to ascertain how the accident took place.