High -Speed Passenger Train Plows into Herd of Elephants in Horrifying Incident

A tragic collision occurred in northeastern India early Saturday when a high-speed passenger train struck a herd of elephants, killing seven and injuring a young calf. The Rajdhani Express, carrying around 650 passengers, was traveling through Assam when the driver spotted nearly 100 wild Asiatic elephants crossing the tracks and immediately applied the emergency brakes.

Despite the quick reaction, the train collided with several of the endangered elephants, causing the engine and five coaches to derail. Thankfully, none of the passengers—who were traveling from Sairang to New Delhi—were injured in the incident.

Indian Railways spokesman Kapinjal Kishore Sharma confirmed that after the accident, the undamaged coaches were disconnected, and the train continued its journey to New Delhi. Approximately 200 passengers from the derailed coaches were transferred to a different train to reach their destination.

Veterinarians later performed necropsies on the elephants, and plans were made to bury the animals later that day. The tragic event highlights an ongoing issue in Assam, where train-related elephant deaths have been frequent. At least a dozen elephants have been killed on railway tracks in the state since 2020.

Assam is home to about 7,000 wild Asiatic elephants, a species that is already endangered, with only an estimated 30,000 to 50,000 left in the wild.