A tragic incident occurred early on Saturday in Assam, India, when a passenger train collided with a herd of elephants, resulting in the deaths of seven wild Asiatic elephants. The collision happened as the train, identified as the Rajdhani Express, traveled at high speed, striking a group of approximately 100 elephants crossing the tracks. An injured calf was also reported following the accident.
The train driver noticed the herd and initiated emergency braking, but the train still impacted some of the elephants, according to Kapinjal Kishore Sharma, a spokesman for Indian Railways. The collision led to the derailment of five train coaches and the engine; however, there were no reported human casualties. Autopsies were performed on the deceased elephants, and local authorities planned to bury them later in the day.
Location and Context of the Incident
The accident took place in a forested area situated about 78 miles southeast of Guwahati, Assam’s capital. While railway tracks in the region are known to be frequented by elephants, Indian Railways clarified that the site of the accident was not a designated elephant corridor. Government regulations mandate that trains passing through the country’s 150 wildlife corridors reduce speed to prevent such collisions.
The Rajdhani Express was en route from Sairang in Mizoram, bordering Myanmar, to the national capital, New Delhi, carrying 650 passengers at the time of the incident. Following the collision, authorities detached the derailed coaches, allowing the train to continue its journey to New Delhi. Approximately 200 passengers from the affected coaches were transferred to a separate train bound for Guwahati.
Frequent Collisions and Conservation Efforts
Collisions between speeding trains and wild elephants are not uncommon in Assam, which is home to an estimated 7,000 wild Asiatic elephants, representing one of the highest concentrations of these animals in India. According to Indian government data, at least a dozen elephants have been killed by trains in the state since 2020. On average, around 20 elephants lose their lives in train accidents each year, primarily when they cross railway lines that traverse their natural habitats.
In response to these ongoing issues, India has recently opened an elephant hospital in Mathura to provide care for injured elephants. Meanwhile, the southern state of Tamil Nadu has implemented an artificial intelligence and machine learning-enabled surveillance system aimed at preventing elephant deaths on railways.
As the harvest season approaches, wild elephants often venture into human settlements, drawn by rice fields ready for harvesting. This behavioral pattern increases the likelihood of conflicts between elephants and railway operations, emphasizing the urgent need for enhanced safety measures and wildlife conservation efforts in the region.
