Assam: 8 elephants killed by Rajdhani Express, 5 coaches derail
What's the story
At least eight elephants were killed and a calf was injured after the Sairang-New Delhi Rajdhani Express collided with a herd in the Hojai district in Assam on Saturday morning, according to a report by the PTI, which cited a forest official. No injuries to the passengers were reported despite five of the train's coaches and the locomotive derailing.
Details
Accident happened outside elephant corridor
The accident occurred around 2:17am, according to railway officials. The Sairang-New Delhi Rajdhani Express connects Mizoram's Sairang, near Aizawl, to Anand Vihar Terminal (Delhi). The incident occurred in the Changjurai area, 126km from Guwahati, and is not in a designated elephant corridor. The locomotive pilot applied emergency brakes upon spotting the herd on the tracks. However, an accident could not be averted.
Train operations
Train services hit
According to NDTV, the derailment and the scattered elephant body parts on the tracks affected train services to Upper Assam and other parts of the Northeast. Meanwhile, passengers from the affected coaches were temporarily accommodated in vacant berths available in other coaches of the train. Additional coaches will be attached to accommodate all passengers after the train reaches Guwahati.