A ten-year-old male elephant was on Friday run over and killed by a running train near Digaru on the outskirts of Guwahati, forest department officials said.
The up Anand Vihar-Agartala Weekly Passenger Special Train hit the pachyderms in the early morning on Friday when the train was passing through an elephant movement area.
The incident took place at Balijan, between Panbari and Digaru stations.
The carcass of the elephant, which died on the spot, has been sent for post-mortem examination.
“An enquiry of the accident has been initiated. The fault of railway department or forest field staff is also being looked into,” said a forest official.
With elephant corridors getting squeezed due to encroachment, more and more elephants are straying to human habitations for food and getting run over by speeding trains.
On September 27 last, a goods train ran over a 35-year-old female elephant and her baby while they were crossing a railway track in Lumding.
The calf’s carcass was found at a distance of one kilometre from its mother, indicating that the train was speeding in the reserve forest.
Two train drivers and a staff member were subsequently suspended.