Guwahati/IBNS-CMEDIA: Eight elephants were killed and one calf was injured after a herd was hit by an express train in Assam’s Hojai district in the early hours of Saturday, media reports said.
The Sairang–New Delhi Rajdhani Express derailed after colliding with the herd at around 2:17 am, NDTV reported.
The locomotive and five coaches were affected in the accident.
No passenger casualties or injuries were reported.
The injured calf has been rescued, officials said.
Despite the loco pilot applying an emergency brake after spotting the herd, elephants still hit the train leading to the derailment of the coaches.
The accident disrupted train services in the area, prompting the deployment of accident relief trains.
Passengers from the affected coaches were shifted to vacant seats in the unaffected coaches of the same train.
Additional coaches will be attached to the train at Guwahati to accommodate the relocated passengers.
The train, which connects Mizoram’s Sairang with Delhi’s Anand Vihar, met with the accident at a stretch that is not designated as an elephant corridor.
