Speeding train kills two elephants in Assam

Two wild elephants were killed by a speeding train near Guwahati in Assam on the early hours of Sunday.

The pachyderms who had ventured out from the Amchang wildlife sanctuary near the state capital in search of food were crossing the tracks when the Awadh Assam Express hit them near Chandrapur around 12.30am.

The incident comes five days after railways held a workshop in the state to mitigate elephant casualty on train tracks.

Elephants venture out of reserve forests during winter months and some get hit by trains while trying to cross tracks.

In December last year, 11 such deaths were recorded in the state.

Railways and forest authorities have taken measures like joint patrolling in vulnerable areas to alert train drivers if elephants are sighted near the tracks.

Assam has the highest number of wild elephants in India. As per the 2011 Census, there are 5,620 of them.

But due to increased human activity in reserve forests and reduced forest cover, they venture out in search of food and get killed by trains or targeted by farmers who electrocute or poison them to save their crops.

According to the forest department, between 2001 and 2014, 225 wild elephants fell victim to poaching, trains, electrocution and poisoning in Assam.

On the other hand, between 2006 and 2016, 785 people were killed by wild elephants in the state.

GUWAHATI: BETWEEN 2001 AND 2014, A TOTAL 225 WILD ELEPHANTS FELL VICTIM TO POACHING, TRAINS, ELECTROCUTION AND POISONING IN ASSAM

PTI Villagers stand near the bodies of two female elephants that were killed after being hit by a speeding train in Thakurkuchi village on the outskirts of Guwahati on Sunday.