Train in rural Norway kills 24 reindeer, more animals may be injured

VEFSN, Norway, Dec. 4 (UPI) -- A train hit and killed 24 reindeer in northern Norway, the animals' owner said.

"This winter has started in the worst possible way," owner Ole-Henrik Kappfjell said. "It seems that more animals are injured."

The reindeer were crossing the Nordland line in the rural Vefsn municipality when they were hit, The Local.No reported.

Herders have been requesting fences along the track for years.

About 4,000 reindeer and elk have been killed on the tracks in the past decade.