Train Hits Elephant Herd in Assam, 7–8 Elephants Killed | ISH News

In the early hours of 20 December 2025, a passenger train in Hojai district, Assam, tragically collided with a herd of elephants. The train was moving at night in low visibility when it hit the group of elephants, including adults and calves. Seven to eight elephants were killed instantly, and at least one was seriously injured. Several train coaches derailed, causing panic among passengers, though thankfully no human casualties were reported. Train services on this route were disrupted for several hours.
Forest officials and railway teams reached the site immediately, with veterinarians monitoring the injured elephant. This stretch of track falls within a known elephant movement zone, and forest officials confirmed that elephants frequently cross here, especially at night.
Unfortunately, this is not an isolated incident. Government data shows that between 2009–10 and 2024, around 186 elephants have died in train collisions across India, averaging more than 10 deaths per year. Assam, along with West Bengal, Jharkhand, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, and parts of the Northeast, is one of the most affected regions.
The main reasons behind such accidents are railway tracks cutting across old elephant corridors, loss of forests, roads, mining activities, and human settlements that force elephants to move frequently. Most collisions occur at night, during fog, rain, or early morning, when trains are moving at high speed and drivers have little time to react.
Indian Railways and forest departments have repeatedly discussed solutions, including speed limits in forest zones, warning boards, night patrolling, coordination between loco pilots and forest staff, and temporary train regulation during peak elephant movement. Long-term plans such as elephant underpasses, overpasses, fencing, and AI-based animal detection systems have been proposed but are in place at only a few locations.
After incidents like this, political leaders often express concern and order reviews, while social media shows public anger and calls for justice for elephants. However, conservationists warn that wildlife deaths are not treated with the same urgency as human losses. They emphasise that unless strict speed control is enforced at the 1,100 identified elephant hotspots and wildlife crossings are treated as essential infrastructure, accidents like the Assam tragedy will continue.

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