Early on Saturday morning, a tragic incident occurred in Assam, India, when a high-speed passenger train collided with a herd of elephants, resulting in the deaths of seven wild Asiatic elephants. A calf sustained injuries in the collision, which took place as approximately 100 elephants crossed the railway tracks near a forested area located about 78 miles southeast of Assam’s capital, Guwahati.
The train driver, according to Indian Railways spokesman Kapinjal Kishore Sharma, spotted the herd and activated the emergency brakes. Despite these efforts, the train struck several elephants. Following the impact, five train coaches along with the engine derailed. Fortunately, no human casualties were reported among the approximately 650 passengers on board the Rajdhani Express, which was traveling from Sairang in Mizoram to the national capital, New Delhi.
Veterinarians conducted autopsies on the deceased elephants, and plans were made for their burial later that day. According to Indian Railways, the accident occurred in an area that is not designated as an elephant corridor, although the railway tracks in Assam are known to be frequented by elephants. A statement from the railway authority emphasized that trains passing through the country’s 150 wildlife corridors are required to reduce speed to mitigate the risk of collisions.
The impact of this incident highlights a troubling trend in Assam, which is home to an estimated 7,000 wild Asiatic elephants, one of the highest concentrations in India. Since 2020, at least a dozen elephants have lost their lives due to collisions with speeding trains in the state. Government data reveals that, on average, 20 elephants are killed annually in train accidents, primarily when they cross railway lines that traverse their natural habitats.
In response to the alarming frequency of these incidents, various measures have been implemented. Recently, an elephant hospital was inaugurated in Mathura, while the southern state of Tamil Nadu introduced an artificial intelligence and machine learning-enabled surveillance system aimed at preventing elephant deaths on railways.
As the harvest season approaches, wild elephants often stray into human settlements, seeking rice fields ready for collection. This seasonal behavior contributes to the increased risk of encounters with trains, underscoring the ongoing challenge of balancing wildlife preservation with railway operations in India.
The recent collision serves as a stark reminder of the vulnerabilities faced by wildlife and the pressing need for effective measures to protect both elephants and human commuters on the railways.
