6 Elephants, Including Calf, Killed After Train Hits Them In Assam

Sonitpur, Assam: Five adult elephants and a calf were crushed to death last night by a train in Assam. The elephants were hit by the Guwahati-Naharlagun Express at around 1 am when the herd was trying to cross the rail line, sources in the railways said.

The incident took place in Balipara in Assam's Sonitpur district, an area known to be an elephant corridor. Disturbing images showed locals standing around the bodies of the elephants. 

The rising cases of human-animal conflict in Assam have been a cause of concern for conservation and wildlife bodies. Due to large scale deforestation for the construction of villages, elephants have lost their natural habitats that had remained untouched till 2014.

As many as 140 elephants have died 'unnaturally' in Assam between 2013 and 2016.

An official from World Wildlife Fund had said Sonitpur - where the latest incident took place - has lost 70 per cent of its forest, forcing wild elephants to stray into the villages.

The Asian elephants of Assam have been declared 'endangered' by the International Union for Conservation of Nature or IUCN. 

According to the elephant census, there were 5620 in 2011.