The death toll from a collision between a passenger train and a herd of elephants in Assam’s Hojai district rose to eight on Sunday after an injured calf succumbed to its wounds, forest officials said.
Seven elephants were killed on the spot and one calf was critically injured after the Sairang–New Delhi Rajdhani Express hit the herd at Changjurai village in Hojai district early on Saturday.
“The calf, the only tusker which had survived the accident, died this morning while undergoing treatment at the Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation (CWRC) in Kaziranga,” Nagaon Division Forest Ranger Shamim Akhtar told PTI.
She said the seven elephants killed in the collision were buried near the accident site on Saturday after post-mortem examinations and completion of other legal formalities.
Five coaches and the train’s engine also derailed in the accident, though no passengers were injured.
Railway authorities issued a ‘caution order’ for speed regulation for 12 hours from 5 pm on Saturday, a routine safety measure enforced when animal movement is reported along rail tracks, officials said.
Other elephants of the herd, of which the eight were killed, continued to roam near the accident spot, the forest officer said.
“The jumbos are still in the area, and they had come out in search of food. Our forest department personnel are camping there,” Akhtar added.
The official said the two drivers were detained after the accident, but were released later on Saturday.
“A case has been registered, and the forest division is conducting its own probe,” she said.
The forest department has been instructed to conduct a detailed enquiry and secure wildlife corridors, she added.