8 elephants killed after being hit by Rajdhani Express

Eight elephants were killed and one injured after a herd was hit by the Sairang-New Delhi Rajdhani Express in Assam’s Hojai district in the wee hours of Saturday, a forest official said.

Five coaches and the train’s engine were derailed in the incident, though no injuries to passengers were reported, a Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) spokesperson said.

The spokesperson said the New Delhi-bound train met with the accident around 2.17 am.

Nagaon divisional forest officer Suhash Kadam told PTI that the incident occurred at Changjurai area of Hojai district.

Kadam and other forest officials have reached the site.

Trains scheduled to pass through the affected Jamunamukh–Kampur section have been diverted through the UP line, and restoration work is underway, he added.

The Sairang-New Delhi Rajdhani Express connects Mizoram’s Sairang (near Aizawl) to Anand Vihar Terminal (Delhi).