Guwahati: Five coaches of a Rajdhani Express derailed after the rammed into a herd of elephants in Nagaon district of Assam, early on Saturday. At least seven elephants were killed in the accident. The railways said that no passengers were injured.
According to the railways, the accident took place around 2.17 am in the Jamunamukh-Kampur section under the Lumding Division of Northeast Frontier Railway. Train number 20507 DN Sairang-New Delhi Rajdhani Express struck elephants on the track, leading to the derailment of the locomotive and five coaches.
The site of the accident is located around 126 kilometres from Guwahati. The area is not marked as a designated elephant corridor, the railways said.
Despite the severity of the collision, there were no casualties or injuries among passengers or railway staff, it was confirmed by the railways. The loco pilot reportedly applied emergency brakes after spotting the elephants on the track, but could not bring the train to a complete stop.
The railways did not confirm or deny the elephant deaths, as reported by News18.
Accident Relief Trains and senior officials from the Lumding divisional headquarters were rushed to the site soon after the derailment. Senior railway officers, including the general manager of Northeast Frontier Railway and the divisional railway manager of Lumding, also reached the location to oversee rescue and restoration work.
Passengers from the affected coaches were temporarily accommodated in vacant berths in other coaches of the train. After detaching the derailed coaches, the train left the site for Guwahati at around 6.11 am.
Once the train reaches Guwahati, additional coaches will be attached to accommodate all passengers before the journey resumes towards New Delhi, officials said.
Helpline numbers were activated at Guwahati railway station to assist passengers and relatives. The helpline numbers are 0361-2731621, 0361-2731622 and 0361-2731623.
Meanwhile, trains scheduled to pass through the affected section are being diverted through the UP line. Restoration work is currently underway, and railway officials said normal train movement will be restored after safety checks are completed.
