Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma (ANI image)
NEW DELHI: Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday expressed deep sorrow over the death of seven elephants, three adults and four calves killed in a tragic collision with a train in central Assam. He ordered a detailed probe into the incident.In a post on X, Sarma said he was “deeply saddened” by the loss and directed the Forest Department to conduct a thorough enquiry. He also asked officials to take steps to further secure wildlife corridors, especially during low-visibility seasons, to prevent such accidents in the future.
“We are deeply saddened by the death of seven elephants – three adults and four calves – in a tragic train collision earlier today. I have directed the Forest Department to conduct a detailed enquiry on this deeply disturbing accident and take steps to further secure our wildlife corridors, particularly during low visibility seasons,” his post read. The incident occurred in the early hours of the day, around 2.17 am, in the Jamunamukh–Kampur section under the Lumding Division of Northeast Frontier (NF) Railway in Hojai district. The Delhi-bound Sairang–New Delhi Rajdhani Express struck a herd of elephants, leading to the derailment of the locomotive and five coaches. Railway authorities said there were no casualties or injuries among passengers. According to NF Railway, the location is not a designated elephant corridor. The loco pilot applied emergency brakes after spotting the herd, but the elephants collided with the train. Forest officials reached the site soon after the accident and confirmed the death of seven elephants.Senior railway officials, including the General Manager of NF Railway and the Divisional Railway Manager of Lumding, rushed to the spot, while accident relief trains were deployed for restoration work. Passengers from the affected coaches were temporarily accommodated in vacant berths in other coaches.After detaching the derailed coaches, the train left for Guwahati at 6.11 am, where additional coaches were to be attached before it resumed its onward journey.Train services on the affected section were disrupted, with several trains diverted via the UP line. Restoration work has since been completed, railway authorities said.The chief minister also stressed the need for stronger safety measures to protect wildlife, particularly elephants that frequently move through vulnerable forest stretches. Indian Railways, meanwhile, said it is expanding the use of technology, including Artificial Intelligence-based intrusion detection systems, to alert loco pilots and control rooms about the presence of elephants near tracks and enable timely preventive action. Go to Source
