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Elephant Tragedy: Train Kills Herd Member in Uttarakhand
29 Oct
Summary
- A male elephant died after being struck by the Bagh Express train.
- This marks the 10th elephant fatality in Uttarakhand this year.
- Habitat fragmentation increases risks for elephants in the region.
A male elephant was killed late Tuesday night when it was struck by the Bagh Express train. The incident occurred near railway pillar number 55/8 as a herd of elephants was crossing the tracks in Uttarakhand's Udham Singh Nagar district. This fatality is the tenth elephant death recorded in Uttarakhand this year.
The impact of the collision was severe, breaking one of the elephant's tusks and damaging the train's locomotive, causing a 90-minute delay. Fortunately, all approximately 1,000 passengers aboard the train remained safe. Railway and forest officials were present at the scene, and a postmortem was scheduled.
An inquiry has been initiated by the forest department to determine if the train adhered to speed limits and if the collision was preventable. This event underscores growing concerns about elephant safety in Uttarakhand, with habitat fragmentation identified as a key factor increasing the risk of such tragic encounters.
