Seven wild elephants have been killed by a high speed passenger train while crossing over the tracks in India.
The driver had applied the emergency brakes after spotting the herd of 100 animals in the north-eastern state of Assam at 2.17am local time this morning.
No human casualties were reported, but the hard braking derailed the engine and five carriages.
The Rajdhani Express train was carrying 650 passengers from Sairang in Mizoram state to the capital New Delhi.
It forms part of a premium brand of services operated to and from the capital by India Railways, which are regularly given priority on the network.
Elephant crossings are a frequent occurrence on India’s railways, however the state operator confirmed that the forested area 78 miles south east of the city of Guwahati was not a known corridor.
However Assam is known for its high concentration of wild Asiatic elephants, with an estimated 7,000 of the species in the state.
A dozen elephants have been killed by passenger trains in the area since 2020.
Elephants often stray into human territory at this time of the year, as rice fields are being harvested.
Indian Railways said in a statement: ‘We delinked the coaches which were not derailed, and the train resumed its journey for New Delhi.
‘Around 200 passengers who were in the five derailed coaches have been moved to Guwahati in a different train.’
The railway added: ‘Trains scheduled to pass through that section are being diverted through another line. Restoration works are on.’
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