Assam Elephant Toll Rises to 8; Trains Slow, Jharkhand Cancels 8
Assam Elephant Toll Rises to 8; Trains Slow, Jharkhand Cancels 8
Eight elephants die in Assam after a Rajdhani collision; trains slow with a 30 kmph cap as Jharkhand cancels eight trains amid rising elephant movements near tracks.
Eight elephants, including several calves, were killed when a New Delhi–bound Rajdhani Express ploughed through a herd near Sangjurai village in Assam’s Hojai district around 2 am on Saturday. A male calf — less than 15 days old — died later at the Kaziranga Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation, after suffering a leg fracture, spinal injuries and internal injuries, according to Kampur range forest officer Shamim Aktar. Dense night fog and the absence of an intrusion detection system at the crossing are being cited as contributing factors.
Rail authorities imposed a 30 kmph speed cap within a 1 km radius of the crash site and deployed a watchman around the clock on a 500 m stretch on either side. The measures are set to remain for a week, with further directives expected, as authorities step up monitoring of elephant movements near railway lines.
Meanwhile, the Chakradharpur railway division under the South Eastern Railway announced the cancellation of eight trains from December 22 to 24 in response to heightened elephant movement in its jurisdiction. The cancellations include seven MEMU trains and one passenger service on routes such as Rourkela-Chakradharpur, Rourkela-Jharsuguda and Rourkela-Nuagaon, marking the division’s third consecutive set of such cancellations.
Officials say the Centre has asked states to monitor elephant movements along railway tracks. Union minister Bhupender Yadav has sought a report on the Assam deaths and urged more robust measures to protect elephants in railway corridors.
Experts emphasize that balancing rail safety with wildlife protection remains a pressing challenge, prompting discussions on longer-term steps such as wildlife corridors, better detection systems, and route adjustments to reduce collisions.
