One wild tusker was mowed down by the speeding Vivek Express, around 2.00 AM today at Khatkati near Lahorijan Tea estate; on the Lumding – Dibrugarh section of N F Railway.
According to Karbi Anglong East division forest officials, a group of four wild elephant were caught between the railway track while attempting to intersect, three elephants managed to escape while the last one of the group botched up in the glare of the head light of the locomotive and consequently was mowed down.
The place where the mishap took place is one of the oldest elephant access strips, which runs up to Arunachal Pradesh and beyond. Hundreds of wild elephants have fallen prey to fast moving trains on this rail track and human cruelty in this area.
Rapid deforestation due to aggressive human settlement forces elephant herds to move about through their primordial passage which the elephant does because of natural instinct.
