Assam: The Rajdhani Express struck seven elephants in killing them and injuring a calf; other carriages derailed
Assam: Rail services were disrupted on Saturday morning in Hojai, Assam, after a herd of elephants crashed with the Sairang-New Delhi Rajdhani Express, killing at least seven of them and injuring one calf.
The Rajdhani Express, which was headed for New Delhi, collided with a herd of elephants that were crossing the railroad lines at around 2:17 a.m., according to authorities. Authorities from the forest department subsequently verified that seven elephants were killed in the crash, but one youngster was saved with injuries and given medical care.
Some of the train’s carriages were also derailed. The event did not result in any harm to passengers or railway employees.
Sairang, close to Aizawl in Mizoram, and Anand Vihar Terminal in Delhi are connected by the Sairang–New Delhi Rajdhani Express. The distance between Guwahati and the accident scene is around 126 kilometers. Railway authorities and accident relief teams were sent to the scene almost away after the incident to oversee rescue efforts and evaluate the damage.
According to sources, the accident and the presence of elephant corpses on the tracks caused major disruptions to train services to Upper Assam and other regions of the Northeast. To minimize passenger annoyance, a number of trains that were traveling through the impacted area were rerouted via other routes as a precaution.
Travelers in the wrecked cars were temporarily moved to open seats in other coaches on the same train. According to railway officials, more coaches will be added to the train once it arrives in Guwahati in order to accommodate all impacted passengers. Following that, the train will continue on its current course.
The collision did not happen in a recognized elephant path, officials said. According to reports, the loco pilot applied emergency brakes as soon as he saw the herd on the rails. Nevertheless, the elephants raced onto the train in spite of their attempts, causing the collision and ensuing disaster.
To clear the tracks and return train operations to normal as soon as possible, restoration work is now being done. To control the situation and guarantee safety, railroad and forest officials are collaborating closely at the location. To supervise the restoration work, senior railway authorities have also arrived at the scene of the accident, including the Divisional Railway Manager of Lumding and the General Manager of Northeast Frontier Railway.
The Guwahati train station has already activated the following helpline numbers: 0361-2731621/2731622/2731623. The event has once again brought attention to the Northeast’s rising human-wildlife conflict problem, especially the dangers presented by railroad lines that cross woodland and peripheral regions. In order to prevent such terrible events in the future, authorities emphasized the need of more robust preventative measures.