Assam tragedy: Rajdhani Express hits herd of elephants, killing eight; five coaches, engine derail

NEW DELHI: 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 early hours of Saturday, a forest official said. Five coaches and the engine of the New Delhi bound train were derailed in the incident, though no injuries to passengers were reported, a Northeast Frontier Railway spokesperson said. The spokesperson said the accident occurred at around 2.17 am. Nagaon divisional forest officer Suhash Kadam told PTI that the collision took place in the Changjurai area of Hojai district. Kadam and other forest officials reached the site soon after the incident. Railway authorities said train services on the affected Jamunamukh Kampur section have been disrupted. Trains scheduled to pass through the stretch are being diverted via the UP line, while restoration work is underway, Kadam added. The Sairang New Delhi Rajdhani Express connects Mizoram’s Sairang near Aizawl with the Anand Vihar Terminal in Delhi.(With inputs from PTI)