Assam: Speeding Freight Train Hits Elephant Herd, 1 Killed, 1 Injured

In a tragic incident on Wednesday, a wild elephant was killed and another was injured after being hit by a freight carrying train at Gosaihat in Palasbari in Assam’s Karmrup district.

A herd of elephants had reportedly come down from Maliata hills in the district in search of food when they were hit by speeding freight train. One elephant was killed on the spot while another, that was injured, reportedly went back into the wilderness.

The incident took place last night on the Kamakhya-Jogighopa rail track when the herd was crossing the track as the speeding train, coming from Guwahati and headed towards Delhi, hit two of the elephants resulting in one’s death and another sustaining injuries.

The deceased elephant was reportedly dragged a long distance by the speeding train.

Officials from the forest department and Railways reached the site of the incident last night itself to remove the carcass of the dead elephant from the tracks in order to open the track for train movement.

Meanwhile, locals said that since the area was an active elephant corridor with elephants coming out of the wild regularly, a signboard demarcating the area as an active elephant corridor be put up.

They also requested that trains passing through the area be slowed down to prevent such accidents happening in the future.

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