Over 32000 animals killed on railway tracks in 2016-18
New Delhi: More than 32,000 animals, including cattle, lions and leopards, have been killed on railway tracks in the past three years, according to data provided by the railways.
Additionally, this year, till June 20, 3,479 animals were killed after being run over by trains. This does not include elephants, 60 of whom were killed in the last three years and five this year till June 20.
While in 2016, 7,945 animals were mowed down by trains, in 2017, the number rose to 11,683 and in 2018, it was 12,625 bringing the total number of animals killed between 2016 and 2018 to 32,253.
A senior railway official acknowledged the problem and said that while the number of train accidents was decreasing, the number of animal deaths on tracks which were around 3,000-4,000 in 2014-2015 has been increasing, which is a cause of concern.
Trains are also bearing the brunt of cattle run over cases. Earlier this year, newly launched Vande Bharat Express, was hit by stray cattle and its aerodynamic nose, which is made of steel with a fibre cover on it, had to be replaced.
The railways is now planning to fence off tracks that are around open areas such as fields to avoid these incidents. Railways security personnel are also sensitising farmers to keep their cattle off the tracks, but that doesn't seem to be working.
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Oil prices sink, US stock futures jump as US, Iran agree to 2-week ceasefire
New York (AP): Oil prices plunged below USD 100 a barrel and Asia markets and US stock futures jumped after the US and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire that includes the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 rose 4.8% and South Korea's Kospi gained 5.6%. Futures for the S&P 500 advanced 2.3% as of 9:30 pm EDT, while Dow futures rose 2%.
Futures for US crude oil sank 14.3% to $96.83 a barrel and Brent crude oil, the international standard, dropped 13.3% to $94.74. Oil prices had spiked because the war snarled the production and transportation of crude in the Persian Gulf. Much of that oil exits the gulf through the Strait of Hormuz to reach customers around the world, but Iran had blocked it to enemies.
Late Tuesday, Trump said he was holding off on his threatened attacks on Iranian bridges, power plants and other civilian targets. Iran's foreign minister said passage through the strait would be allowed for the next two weeks under Iranian military management.
The dramatic moves in prices are just the latest swings to hit financial markets since late February because of constantly shifting signals about when the conflict may end.
Even with word of a ceasefire, neither Iran nor the United States said when it would begin, and attacks took place in Israel, Iran and across the Gulf region early Wednesday.
