8 elephants killed as Rajdhani Express derails in Assam
At least eight elephants were killed and one calf injured after a herd collided with the Sairang–New Delhi Rajdhani Express in Assam’s Hojai district early Saturday, officials said. The impact caused the locomotive and five coaches to derail, disrupting rail services in the region.
The accident occurred around 2:17 am at a stretch that is not a designated elephant corridor. Railway authorities confirmed that no passengers were injured in the incident. Forest officials later recovered the carcasses of eight elephants, while the injured calf was rescued, News.Az reports, citing foreign media.
According to officials, the train’s loco pilot applied emergency brakes after spotting the herd on the tracks, but the collision could not be avoided. The site lies about 126 km from Guwahati, where accident relief trains and railway teams were rushed to restore operations.
Train services to Upper Assam and parts of the Northeast were temporarily affected due to debris and the derailment. Passengers from the affected coaches were accommodated in other compartments, and additional coaches were arranged once the train reached Guwahati.
The incident has once again highlighted the ongoing risk of train–wildlife collisions. Government data shows that nearly 80 elephants have been killed in train accidents across India over the past five years, prompting renewed calls for speed restrictions, early-warning systems, and improved wildlife protection measures along railway tracks.
Similar news
