Bus driver saves wild elephant in Jalpaiguri

Jalpaiguri: A private passenger bus travelling from Chalsa to Maynaguri in Jalpaiguri district on Sunday managed to avoid a collision with a wild elephant that suddenly darted out of Gorumara National Park and came in front of the bus.

The bus was travelling on Lataguri Chalsa National Highway No. 31, that runs through the Gorumara National Park in Jalpaiguri. Negotiating a bend, the driver suddenly spotted the elephant on the road. He then deftly navigated the bus off the road, averting a collision with the pachyderm. Sumit Sarkar, a passenger on the bus, stated: “As it was a bend, the driver could not see the elephant initially. Reacting swiftly the driver steered the bus away from the road, preventing a catastrophe. After the elephant retreated into the forest, the bus resumed its journey.”

Shubhra Shankar Dutta, Lataguri Range Officer of Jalpaiguri Forest Division, stated: “The driver’s presence of mind and skillful driving saved the day. We have been constantly sensitising motorists to drive carefully on forest stretches.”