India, Aug. 21 -- Panic gripped Haridwar railway station after cleaning staff spotted a python trying to slither into a coach of the Vande Bharat Express, officials said.

The Dehradun-bound train arrived at the station's washing line around 9: 00 a.m. on Thursday, Aug 20 and was due to depart around 6:00 p.m. following cleaning and maintenance.

Around noon, staff spotted a roughly 10-foot-long python moving beneath the train and near one of the coaches. They immediately alerted the forest department, which dispatched a team from the Haridwar Forest Range.

After a two-hour operation, the python was rescued and released into the forest, Range Officer Shishpal Singh said.

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Pion...