In eastern India's Odisha state, the dwindling elephant population is constantly under threat from a country undergoing rapid industrialisation. <br /><br />One threat is from the country's railways.<br /><br />Video from April seen here shows four elephants - including a baby -that were tragically killed in an instant by a speeding train in Jharsuguda.<br /><br />It's a sad sign of the wider conflict between the state's need for infrastructure and the elephant population in the area.<br /><br />This particular tragedy happened in the state's Jharsugada district at around 3:30am. <br /><br />This video filmed about five hours later shows the slain elephants lying on the train tracks, and later removed, as onlookers crowded around the scene. <br /><br />According to animal NGO Elephant Family, Odisha is one of the largest areas of habitat for elephants in India. <br /><br />In the past decade, rapid industrialisation has created a demand for new infrastructure, including open wells, mines and railways - all posing an active threat to the elephant population.<br /><br />According to one report, train collisions in India have killed 266 elephants from 1987 to July 2017, citing the Wildlife Trust of India.
