HYDERABAD: At least 195 sheep were confirmed dead after a flock strayed onto railway tracks and was run over by the Dakshin Express near Aushapur in Medchal-Malkajgiri district in the early hours of Tuesday.

The owner of the flock, however, put the death toll at 375 and said another 50 sheep were injured.The Dakshin Express, travelling from New Delhi to Hyderabad, was passing through the stretch between Bibinagar and Ghatkesar railway stations when the incident occurred at around 2.32 am, according to railway officials.

Balamoni Kistaiah, the owner of the sheep, said he had kept the flock in an enclosure nearby on Monday night.According to RPF officials, the owner suspects that the sheep panicked after stray dogs barked at and chased them, causing the animals to flee towards the railway tracks.Kistaiah was asleep when the incident occurred. When he woke up, he found that the flock was missing and began searching for the animals. He later found several of them dead on the railway tracks.Shepherd's family claims 40 lakh loss, seeks govt aid While Kistaiah estimated that 375 sheep had died and another 50 were injured, Railway Protection Force personnel said they had accounted for 195 deaths so far.

"We are probing the matter to ascertain the actual extent of loss," said Rakesh Meena, RPF inspector, Cherlapally. The RPF has registered a case.Veterinary doctors are conducting postmortem examination on the dead sheep to assess the extent of the loss, said Y Ashok Reddy, Bibinagar tahsildar. He said the govt would take a decision on compensation after the postmortem reports."A detailed PME report and findings of the inquiry will be submitted to the Medchal-Malkajgiri district collector for consideration of monetary assistance, as the family did not have insurance for the flock," Reddy said.The family has appealed to the govt for financial assistance, estimating the loss at around ₹40 lakh. "The sheep have been our livelihood for decades. We lost hundreds of animals in a matter of minutes," said Kothapally Jangaiah, a close relative of Kistaiah. Jangaiah said the family had brought around 600 sheep to the area for grazing.