At least seven elephants were killed and one was injured after a Delhi-bound Rajdhani Express rammed into a herd in Assam’s Hojai district during the early hours of Saturday. The incident occurred on a forest stretch of the railway track, triggering concern over wildlife safety and train movement through elephant corridors.
The collision led to the derailment of the locomotive along with five coaches of the Delhi-bound Rajdhani Express, causing major disruption on the route. Despite the severity of the accident, railway officials confirmed that no passengers were injured, and all onboard were reported safe.
Following the incident, train movement on the affected section was severely impacted, with several trains either delayed or diverted. Railway and forest department officials rushed to the spot to assess the damage and initiate restoration work. The accident has once again raised concerns over train operations through elephant corridors and the urgent need for stronger wildlife protection measures along railway tracks.
Hojai SP V V Rakesh Reddy confirmed that seven elephants were killed in the accident. “Rescue teams are present at the site. The Rajdhani Express coaches have been attached to another engine, and they have left the station now,” he said.
In an official statement, Northeast Frontier Railway spokesperson Kapinjal Kishore Sharma said the tragic accident occurred at around 2:17 am in the Jamunamukh–Kampur section under the Lumding Division of the Northeast Frontier Railway. The incident took place when the Sairang–New Delhi Rajdhani Express collided with a herd of elephants that had strayed onto the railway tracks.
The accident site is located nearly 126 kilometres from Guwahati. Following the collision, railway officials and forest department teams rushed to the spot to carry out rescue and restoration operations. The incident caused significant disruption to rail services in the section, while raising fresh concerns over the safety of wildlife in elephant-prone railway corridors across Assam.
Senior railway officials, including the General Manager of the Northeast Frontier Railway and the Divisional Railway Manager of Lumding, rushed to the accident site soon after receiving information about the derailment. Railway authorities said that passengers from the affected coaches were safely shifted and temporarily accommodated in vacant berths available in other coaches.
After detaching the damaged coaches, the derailment-affected Rajdhani Express departed the accident site for Guwahati at around 6:11 am. Officials said that additional coaches would be attached once the train reaches Guwahati to ensure proper accommodation for passengers from the affected coaches, following which the train would continue its onward journey.
The Railways clarified that the location of the accident is not a designated elephant corridor. According to officials, the loco pilot noticed the herd of elephants on the track and immediately applied emergency brakes. However, despite the effort, the elephants came in contact with the moving train, leading to the tragic accident.
