Train mows down 2 elephants in Assam | Latest News India - Hindustan Times
close_game
close_game

Train mows down 2 elephants in Assam

IANS | By, Guwahati
Aug 10, 2007 04:57 PM IST

Two wild Asiatic elephants, including a calf, are mowed down by a speeding goods train, leading to derailment of the engine.

Two wild Asiatic elephants, including a calf, were mowed down by a speeding goods train early Friday in Assam, leading to derailment of the engine, officials said.

HT Image
HT Image

A railway spokesperson said the accident took place near Deepor Beel village on the outskirts of Guwahati.

Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now.

"A herd of wild elephants was crossing the railway track when the train hit the last two animals," Assam's chief wildlife warden M.C. Malakar told IANS.

The engine of the empty goods train was derailed.

"The calf was cut into pieces after it was dragged for about 200 metres. The adult elephant fell into a pond nearby after being hit by the train and died of profuse bleeding," the warden said.

A railway official said the train driver probably had not seen the herd.

Experts say wild elephants have been moving out of the jungles in search of food with people encroaching upon animal corridors leading to an increasing number of elephant attacks on villages.

Elephants have killed 248 people in Assam in the past five years while 268 elephants have died during the same period, many of them victims of retaliation by angry humans, said a wildlife department report released recently.

Villagers often poison the marauding elephants, while in the past they drove them away by beating drums or bursting firecrackers.

Assam has India's largest population of Asiatic elephants, estimated at around 5,300, according to a wildlife census in 2002.

Unveiling Elections 2024: The Big Picture', a fresh segment in HT's talk show 'The Interview with Kumkum Chadha', where leaders across the political spectrum discuss the upcoming general elections. Watch now!

Get Current Updates on India News, Election 2024, Mukhtar Ansari Death News Live, Bihar Board 10th Result 2024 Live along with Latest News and Top Headlines from India and around the world.
SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Share this article
SHARE
Story Saved
Live Score
OPEN APP
Saved Articles
Following
My Reads
Sign out
New Delhi 0C
Friday, March 29, 2024
Start 14 Days Free Trial Subscribe Now
Follow Us On