Seven Elephants Killed in Tragic Train Collision in India as Passengers Escape Unhurt

Seven elephants were killed and another badly injured after a passenger train ploughed into a vast herd crossing the tracks in northeast India, leaving shocked passengers shaken but fortunately unharmed.

The tragic collision happened in the early hours of Saturday in a forested stretch of Assam, a state famed for its wildlife and tea plantations, when the train struck three adult elephants and four calves despite the driver applying emergency brakes.

Railway officials confirmed no human injuries, even though the violent impact partly derailed the train and left the mangled bodies of the animals strewn across the line.

Alert Driver Spots the Herd

According to the Northeast Frontier Railways, the train driver spotted an enormous herd of around 100 elephants ahead as the train rounded a bend through dense forest.

He immediately slammed on the emergency brakes, slowing the train but failing to stop in time to avoid catastrophe. Railway official Kapinjal Kishore Sharma told the Associated Press that the driver's quick reaction almost certainly saved lives on board.

'Because of the driver's timely action in controlling the speed of the train, the passengers escaped unhurt,' he said.

Despite the reduced speed, the engine and five coaches jumped the tracks on impact.

Passengers Moved as Coaches Partially Derailed

Around 200 of the train's 650 passengers were travelling in the derailed coaches. They were evacuated into the remaining coaches while railway staff assessed the damage and cleared the line.

After several hours, the train was able to continue its journey, first to Guwahati in Assam and later on towards New Delhi.

Services through the area were diverted to alternative lines for much of the day as recovery crews managed the tragic scene. Images from the aftermath showed one of the dead elephants lying between two sets of tracks, its body mostly covered with a white cloth as onlookers stared in silence.

Why Elephants Keep Straying onto Train Tracks

India's elephants frequently cross railway tracks, highways and farmland as they roam in search of food.

To reduce deadly encounters, authorities have designated 150 so-called elephant corridors nationwide, including 42 in the northeast, where trains are instructed to slow down and drivers are urged to give animals priority. However, railway officials said the site of Saturday's collision was not officially recognised as a corridor.

Veteran elephant conservationist Kushal Konwar Sarma informed the New York Times that increasing human encroachment and shrinking habitats are forcing elephants to wander far beyond their traditional routes.

'They are scattered everywhere,' he said. 'They cross the tracks anywhere they can find food.'

Technology Fails to Halt Deadly Toll

Both central and state governments have tried to curb such accidents using surveillance systems designed to detect elephant movements, including vibration sensors that alert railway staff.

But Sarma said these measures have proved largely ineffective in practice.

Government data shows dozens of elephants have been killed by trains in recent years, making rail collisions the second leading cause of accidental elephant deaths in India after electrocution.

Saturday's tragedy is likely to renew calls for stricter speed limits and better protection for one of the country's most iconic and endangered animals.