Herd of 60 elephants saved from getting crushed under train while crossing railway track at night, watch

Almost every day, we encounter disturbing incidents of elephants and other animals getting crushed under the giant wheels of trains. These animals are hit by speedy trains while crossing the tracks. While these are not deliberate actions, the innocent animals meet a tragic death. However, recently, a video surfaced on the internet that shows an elephant herd crossing the railway track at night, and the train waits for the jumbos to cross safely.

As per reports, on October 16 night, a herd of around 60 elephants were crossing the railway tracks between Habaipur and Lamsakhang. Meanwhile, Kamrup Express, train number- 15959, was moving on the track. However, alert loco pilot Pilot JD Das and Assistant Loco Pilot Umesh Kumar of the train applied emergency brakes and ensured safe crossing of the herd of jumbos.

The video is shared on X (formerly Twitter) by Northeast Frontier Railway sharing the information. As claimed, the loco pilots noticed the herd of jumbos crossing the railway track and they applied the emergency brakes.

While recording the video, the loco pilots are heard narrating the situation. Meanwhile, a few of the passengers step down from the train for a close view of the gentle giants. However, the gentle giants without bothering the train passengers cross the track in a straight line. 

Supriya Sahu (IAS), Additional Chief Secretary Health Dept Government of Tamil Nadu shared the video and further clarified that the loco pilots were alerted through an Artificial Intelligence-based Detection System which comprehensively covers the track.

Furthermore, she wrote, "This incident spotlights the importance of technology to prevent such near-misses. Tamil Nadu’s AI-based surveillance system implemented by us in Madukkarai, Coimbatore has also successfully prevented elephant-train collisions through 24/7 monitoring with thermal cameras and real-time alerts. Implementing similar solutions across vulnerable tracks can significantly reduce fatalities and enhance coexistence between wildlife and human infrastructure." (sic)

On 16.10.24 alert Loco Pilot Sri J.D. Das and Asst Loco Pilot Sri Umesh Kumar of 15959 Kamrup Express noticed a herd of elephants crossing the rly track between Habaipur and Lamsakhang. They applied emergency brake and about 60 no’s Elephants were saved from colliding with train pic.twitter.com/jJCDMwU6pp

— Northeast Frontier Railway (@RailNf) October 18, 2024

After the video surfaced on social media and went viral, netizens are showering praises on the loco pilots for whom the collision of the train and elephants could be averted.