Eight elephants were killed after being hit by the Rajdhani Express in Assam; five coaches, including the engine, derailed.:

News Topical, Digital Desk : Five coaches of the Sairang-New Delhi Rajdhani Express derailed late Friday night in Assam's Hojai district. The Rajdhani Express's engine also derailed. A herd of elephants was hit by the Rajdhani Express overnight. Eight elephants were killed and one injured. According to the railway, no passengers were injured in the accident.

Five coaches including the engine derailed

A Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) spokesperson said five coaches and the engine of the train derailed in the incident, but no passengers were injured. The New Delhi-bound train met with the accident at 2:17 a.m., the spokesperson said. Nagaon Divisional Forest Officer Suhash Kadam said the incident occurred in the Changjurai area of Hojai district. Suhash Kadam and other forest department officials have reached the spot.

Rajdhani Express runs between Delhi and Meghalaya.

An official said trains passing through the affected Jamunamukh-Kampur section are being diverted to the up line and work is underway to restore rail traffic. The Sairang-New Delhi Rajdhani Express connects Sairang (near Aizawl) in Mizoram to Anand Vihar Terminal (Delhi).

Train services disrupted

Sources said the derailment and the elephant's body parts scattered on the tracks disrupted train services to Upper Assam and other parts of the Northeast. Passengers from the affected coaches were temporarily accommodated in vacant berths in other coaches. Additional coaches will be added to accommodate all passengers once the train reaches Guwahati, after which it will resume its onward journey. The incident occurred in an area not designated as an elephant corridor. The loco pilot applied emergency brakes after noticing a herd of elephants on the tracks. Despite this, the elephants collided with the train, causing a collision and derailment.