Three Asiatic lion cubs were run over by a goods train in Gujarat’s Borala village in Gir East forest division early on Tuesday. They were found dead on a railway track in Savarkundla range of Amreli district around 12.45 am, Ahmedabad Mirror reported.

“A goods train was going from Botad to Pipavav around 12:45 am today [Tuesday],” Chief Conservator of Forest, Junagadh, DT Vasavda said. “A pride of six lions was moving near the railway track when three lion cubs got crushed under the train.”

Vasavda blamed the negligence of trackers and forest employees for the accident. He added that officials will conduct a detailed inquiry and take action against those found responsible. “We will also ascertain the speed of the train,” he said. “Among the three dead cubs, one was a two-year-old male, while one female and male cub were both 18 months old.”

In the past few months, an outbreak of the canine distemper virus has killed several lions in the Gir forest.