In Assam, a tragic incident occurred late Saturday night when a high-speed Rajdhani Express train struck a herd of wild elephants in the Kampur area of Nagaon district, resulting in the death of seven elephants and serious injuries to a calf. The elephants were reportedly moving towards human habitation in search of food when Train No. 20507 Down Sairang–New Delhi Rajdhani Express passed through the Jamunamukh–Kampur section. Although this area is not officially designated as an elephant corridor, railway personnel claimed that engineers are vigilant while navigating through wildlife-prone zones at night. At approximately 2:17 am, the loco pilot noticed the herd on the track and activated the emergency brakes. This action prevented a larger accident involving passengers, but the train nonetheless collided with the elephants, leading to the derailment of the locomotive and five coaches. Fortunately, there were no reported passenger injuries.
The injured calf has been taken in by the Forest Department for medical attention, while the accident site, situated about 126 km from Guwahati, saw the rapid deployment of accident relief teams and an Accident Relief Train from the Lumding divisional headquarters. High-ranking railway officials, including the General Manager of Northeast Frontier Railway and the Divisional Railway Manager of Lumding, visited the scene to supervise recovery efforts. Following the incident, passengers from the damaged coaches were temporarily relocated to available seats in other coaches, and after detaching the affected coaches, the train proceeded to Guwahati around 6:11 am. Additional coaches will be added in Guwahati before the train continues its journey.
Due to the derailment, train services in the affected segment have been diverted via the Up line, and restoration work is being conducted urgently to restore normal operations. Notably, Kampur is recognized as an area with significant elephant movement, prompting concerns regarding train safety protocols in regions frequented by wildlife. In response to the incident, helpline numbers have been established for passenger assistance at Guwahati Railway Station: 0361-2731621, 2731622, and 2731623.