India, Aug. 20 -- At 4:57 am in Hojai, an alert forest official, a red signal, and quick action by a railway crew helped prevent what could have been a major elephant-train tragedy.

How Forest Officials and Railway Staff Averted the Tragedy August 19, darkness still covered Hawaipur in Assam's Hojai district when a herd of 65 elephants, including small calves, began crossing a railway track. At almost the same time, the Dibrugarh Rajdhani Express (20503), travelling towards New Delhi, was approaching. The next few moments were critical. Forester-1 Shashank Rai heard the herd and the approaching train and immediately moved to alert the loco pilot. Using a torch and displaying a red signal, he warned the train crew of the danger. RFO Manik...