Alert train driver saves elephant on track

A train driver applied emergency brakes to save an elephant crossing a railway track in Assam, officials said on Wednesday.

The incident took place on Tuesday night between Boginadi and Gogamukh railway stations of the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) on the border of Lakhimpur and Dhemaji districts.

Officials said the train was moving slowly as the area is a notified elephant corridor and drivers had been cautioned to look out for elephants.

NFR Chief Public Relation Officer P.J. Sharma said on Wednesday that an elephant appeared suddenly on the tracks, forcing the driver to apply emergency brakes.

The driver was able to stop the train within a distance of 108 meters "but the train slightly dashed the elephant", Sharma said.

"The Assistant Loco Pilot got down from the engine and checked the nearby area for elephant tracks. He reported seeing the elephant running away towards a jungle," Sharma said.

Alert train drivers saved elephants from meeting with accidents in 115 cases in 2018 alone, slightly down from 119 in 2017. The numbers stood at 145 and 118 in 2016 and 2015 respectively.

On six occasions, drivers had to stop the train to allow elephants to cross the tracks.

--IANS

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