Four elephants die in Indian train collision

NEW DELHI, Feb 11 (AFP): A passenger train collided with a herd of elephants crossing the tracks in India's northeast, an official said Sunday, killing four of the endangered animals in the high-speed accident.

The impact of the collision in Assam state late Saturday derailed the engine but no passengers were injured, regional railways spokesman P.J. Sharma told AFP.

Another elephant was seriously injured in the accident, he added.

The elephants were part of a larger herd migrating through the hilly forest state, where train tracks cut across elephant corridors that act as transit routes for the wandering animals. India has nearly 30,000 elephants and Assam is home to its largest population of the Asian variety, an endangered species.

Railway authorities have introduced speed restrictions on some routes that are designated elephant corridors. It was unclear whether this latest accident occurred in one of these zones.