Elephant hit by train engine dies

GIANT FELLED: An elephant knocked down by a train engine removed by a crane in Chandrapur on Thursday.

Guwahati: An Asiatic wild elephant was mowed down by a train at the Panikhaiti area on the outskirts of the city late on Wednesday night.

The incident happened at 2.30 a.m. on Wednesday night when a single engine travelling on the Guwahati-Lumding section hit the pachyderm which was crossing the track between Panikhaiti and Thakurkuchi stations, 29 km off Guwahati.

The elephant was dragged to at least 3 km before the train stopped. Forest officials said the elephant a male was aged about 40 years and fully grown. According to Forest officials, the place where the mishap occurred is an elephant corridor connecting the nearby Amchang wildlife sanctuary which has a huge elephant population.

Train services were stopped for six-and-a-half hours due to the mishap. The services were resumed later at 8.30 a.m. and the first train moved at 9.30 a.m. on Thursday.

Officials said three elephants had died near Panikhaiti in similar incidents in 1999 and 2000. Both the N.F. Railways and the Assam Forest Department had begun independent inquiry into the incident. The Forest Department had been insisting on the Railways to impose speed restriction on such stretch near elephant corridors and near wildlife sanctuaries.