Rajdhani Express Collides with Elephants in Assam; 7 Dead, Coaches Derailed

• Sairang-New Delhi Rajdhani Express collided with an elephant herd in Hojai, Assam, leading to 7 elephant deaths and 1 calf injury.
• The accident, occurring around 2:17 AM, caused the engine and five coaches to derail, disrupting rail services.
• No passengers were injured; all 600 passengers were safely evacuated, and restoration work is underway.
• CM Himanta Biswa Sarma ordered an investigation into the incident, which happened in a non-"elephant corridor" area.
• Over 70 elephants have died in train collisions nationwide in the last five years, prompting joint railway and environment ministry measures.

Why It Matters: Assam train-elephant collision kills 7 elephants, derails coaches, raises wildlife safety concerns.