Seven wild elephants were killed after a passenger train struck a herd in India’s northeastern state of Assam on Saturday, December 20, officials said.
The train was travelling from the remote state of Mizoram to New Delhi when it collided with the elephants, causing five coaches to derail. Authorities confirmed that no passengers were injured in the incident.
Assam is home to more than 4,000 elephants, out of India’s total wild elephant population of approximately 22,000.
Senior Assam police officer V.V. Rakesh Reddy told AFP that seven elephants died on the spot and one was injured in the collision.
Indian Railways spokesperson Kopinjal Kishore Sharma said speed restrictions have been imposed on railway routes identified as elephant corridors. However, he noted that the latest accident occurred outside those designated zones.
He said the locomotive pilot applied emergency brakes after spotting the elephant herd on the tracks, but the animals were struck before the train could come to a complete stop.
Experts say habitat loss caused by deforestation and construction activity near forest areas is forcing elephants to travel farther in search of food. This has increased the frequency of human-elephant conflict, including fatal encounters.
According to Indian parliamentary data, 629 people were killed across the country in elephant-related incidents during the 2023–2024 period.
