Nagaon/ Guwahati, Dec 20: A tragic incident occurred early Saturday in Assam's Hojai district, where a herd of elephants was struck by the Sairang-New Delhi Rajdhani Express, resulting in the deaths of seven elephants and leaving one injured, according to officials.

The collision also caused five train coaches and the engine to derail.

Initially, it was reported that all eight elephants had perished, but later updates confirmed that one was found to be injured.

Fortunately, no passengers sustained injuries during the incident, which took place at 2:17 AM.

Suhash Kadam, the divisional forest officer for Nagaon, indicated that heavy fog in the area might have contributed to the accident in Changjurai village.

An autopsy for the deceased elephants is currently in progress, while local veterinary doctors are treating the injured elephant. Plans for cremation near the accident site are also underway, with legal procedures being followed.

Kapinjal Kishore Sharma, the chief spokesperson for NFR, stated that the accident occurred in the Jamunamukh-Kampur section of the Lumding division, approximately 126 km from Guwahati.

He noted that the incident happened outside a designated elephant corridor.

The train driver reportedly applied emergency brakes upon spotting the elephants, but the animals collided with the train.

Sharma added that accident relief trains and senior officials from the divisional headquarters have arrived at the scene.

The general manager of NFR and the divisional railway manager of Lumding have also been dispatched to the location.

Helpline numbers 0361-2731621 / 2731622 / 2731623 have been activated at the Guwahati railway station for assistance.

Passengers from the affected coaches were temporarily relocated to available berths in other compartments, and the train departed for Guwahati at 6:11 AM without the derailed coaches.

Additional coaches will be added at Guwahati to accommodate the passengers, allowing the train to continue its journey.

Trains scheduled to travel through the affected area have been rerouted via the UP line, and restoration efforts are currently in progress.

The Sairang-New Delhi Rajdhani Express connects Sairang in Mizoram (near Aizawl) to the Anand Vihar Terminal in Delhi.