Seven Elephants Killed After High-Speed Train Derails in Assam

A high-speed passenger train carrying around 650 people derailed in northern India after striking a herd of wild Asiatic elephants, killing seven animals and injuring a calf.

The collision occurred in the early hours of Saturday in the northeastern state of Assam. Five coaches and the locomotive of the Rajdhani Express left the tracks after the impact, although no passengers were injured.

Indian Railways confirmed the driver applied the emergency brakes after spotting a large herd of approximately 100 elephants crossing the line, but was unable to avoid hitting several of the animals.

Veterinary teams were deployed to the scene to carry out post-mortem examinations on the elephants, with arrangements made for their burial later the same day.

The train had been travelling from Mizoram, which borders Myanmar, to India’s capital, New Delhi. The derailment took place in a forested area where elephant movements near railway lines are common, though railway officials said the site is not classified as an official elephant corridor.

Passengers travelling in carriages that remained on the tracks were able to continue their journey, while around 200 people from the derailed coaches were transferred to another service bound for Guwahati.

Assam is home to an estimated 7,000 wild Asiatic elephants, one of the largest populations in the country. Collisions between trains and elephants are a recurring problem in the region, with at least a dozen animals killed by trains since 2020.

Wildlife experts note that elephants are more likely to enter human and transport corridors at this time of year, as rice crops ripen and attract herds in search of food.

Image: Santulan Mahanta