In a tragic incident that occurred in Assam’s Hojai district on Saturday, the Mizoram-New Delhi Rajdhani Express hit a herd leading to the death of seven elephants while injuring a calf. Locomotive and five coaches were derailed of the Train No. 20507 Sairang Rajdhani Express in the Jamunamukh-Kampur section under the Lumding Division of the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR). All passengers were safe, the Railways said. A probe has been initiated into the incident, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said. The injured calf, a few days old, is critical and is undergoing treatment at the Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation near the Kaziranga National Park. The site of the mishap is located about 126 km east of Guwahati and is not designated as an elephant corridor, said Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR).
The loco pilot applied brakes after seeing the herd but unfortunately the train collided with elephants. The passengers were transferred to other coaches of the train and the affected coaches were detached from the train. The train left for Guwahati after the affected coaches were detached. A better coordination between the railways and the Forest Department to track the movement of elephants and prevent such accidents, particularly during winter is the need of the hour.
