A passenger train hit a herd of elephants in northeast India, killing seven animals and derailing five coaches. No human passengers were injured.
NEW DELHI: A passenger train collided with a herd of elephants in northeast India, killing seven of the animals on the spot.
The accident occurred in Assam state, which is home to more than 4,000 of India’s roughly 22,000 wild elephants.
Senior Assam police official V.V. Rakesh Reddy confirmed the death toll, adding that one other elephant was injured.
No travellers were hurt in the incident, though five coaches of the train were derailed.
The train was travelling from the remote state of Mizoram to New Delhi when the collision happened.
Indian Railways spokesman Kapinjal Kishore Sharma said the accident occurred outside of designated elephant corridor zones where speed restrictions are in place.
“The loco pilot, on observing the herd of elephants, applied emergency brakes,” Sharma said. “However, elephants dashed with the train.”
Deforestation and construction near elephant habitats often force the animals to stray further for food, leading to conflict with humans.
Parliamentary figures show that 629 people were killed by elephants across India in the 2023-2024 period.