At least seven elephants were killed and one injured after the Sairang–New Delhi Rajdhani Express rammed into a herd in Hojai district of Assam early on Saturday, officials said. The collision led to the derailment of the train’s engine and five coaches, though no passengers were injured.
The accident occurred at around 2.17 am near Changjurai village. Initial reports suggested all eight elephants had died, but forest officials later confirmed that one animal survived with injuries.
Nagaon Divisional Forest Officer Suhash Kadam said heavy fog in the area was suspected to be a contributing factor. “Autopsy of the seven dead elephants is underway, treatment is being provided to the injured one by local veterinarians, and cremation will be carried out near the site. All legal formalities are being followed,” he said.
According to Kapinjal Kishore Sharma, chief spokesperson of the Northeast Frontier Railway, the accident took place in the Jamunamukh–Kampur section under the Lumding division, about 126 km from Guwahati. He said the location is not a designated elephant corridor. “The train driver applied emergency brakes after spotting the herd, but the elephants collided with the train,” Sharma added.
Accident relief trains and senior railway officials from the divisional headquarters reached the site soon after. The NFR general manager and the Lumding divisional railway manager also rushed to oversee restoration work.
Helpline numbers were activated at Guwahati railway station, and passengers from the affected coaches were temporarily accommodated in vacant berths in other compartments. The train, without the derailed coaches, departed for Guwahati at 6.11 am. Additional coaches are to be attached there before the train resumes its onward journey.
Trains passing through the affected stretch have been diverted via the UP line as restoration work continues. The Sairang–New Delhi Rajdhani Express, operated by Indian Railways, connects Sairang near Aizawl in Mizoram to Anand Vihar Terminal in Delhi.
