In a tragic incident, eight elephants were killed after being hit by the Sairang–New Delhi Rajdhani Express near Hojai in Assam early on Saturday. The collision led to the derailment of the locomotive and five coaches. Railway authorities confirmed that although the loco pilot applied emergency brakes, the accident was unavoidable. Fortunately, no passengers were injured.
The accident occurred at around 2.17 a.m. in Changjurai village, under the Jamunamukh–Kampur section of the Lumding division of the Northeast Frontier Railway, about 126 km from Guwahati.
Nagaon Divisional Forest Officer Suhash Kadam told PTI that heavy fog in the area is suspected to have contributed to the accident, reducing visibility. Northeast Frontier Railway chief spokesperson Kapinjal Kishore Sharma said the location is not a designated elephant corridor, though elephants are known to move through the broader region.
The incident once again draws attention to the ongoing conflict between wildlife habitats and railway infrastructure in Assam. Railway tracks in several ecological zones pass through areas frequented by elephants, increasing the risk of such accidents.
Recently, the Environment Ministry informed Parliament about measures being taken to prevent wildlife-train collisions, including digital tracking of elephant movements and coordination between forest and railway authorities. Despite these efforts, the tragedy highlights the persistent challenges of mitigating man-animal conflict in the region.
Following the accident, railway authorities diverted trains on the affected route. An investigation is underway to examine factors such as the train’s speed and monitoring systems along the track.