In a dramatic incident in northeastern India’s Assam, alert train drivers averted a collision with a herd of elephants as they crossed the railway tracks.

The incident took place between Habaipur and Lamsakhang station on October 16 while the Kamrup Express was en route to Lumding from Guwahati.

Visuals showed the herd of about a large number of wild elephants crossing the tracks in the dark as the train came to a halt just in time. The train remained stationary as the elephants continued their crossing.

According to Northeast Frontier Railway, Loco Pilot JD Das and Assistant Loco Pilot Umesh Kumar immediately applied the emergency brakes, preventing the 15959 Kamrup Express from hitting the elephants. The drivers were also alerted by an Artificial Intelligence-based Intrusion Detection System (IDS) designed to detect movement on the tracks, allowing them to stop in time. The Northeast Frontier Railway noted that this system, already operational in several areas, will soon be expanded to other elephant corridors to enhance safety for both wildlife and trains.