GUWAHATI: Two elephants were mowed down by a train near Thakurkuchi railway station on the outskirts of the city on Saturday midnight. The tragedy occurred when a herd of 16 elephants tried to cross the tracks in darkness. The rest of the herd managed to go over to the other side, but two female elephants were hit by the Guwahati-bound Avadh Express and died on the spot, said forest officials.The accident happened barely 100 metres from the Thakurkuchi railway station. Both forest and railway officials said the spot of the accident is not usually used by elephants to cross tracks.Guwahati wildlife divisional forest officer Pradipta Baruah said the spot is two to three kilometres from the identified corridor used by jumbos to cross railway tracks in the area. The elephants might have come from the nearby Amsang wildlife sanctuary, he added."Both forest and railway personnel were jointly patrolling the identified corridor. It is unfortunate that the mishap happened at a spot which is far from the identified corridor. All the members of the herd managed to cross over, except the two female elephants," Baruah said.

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