At least seven wild Asiatic elephants were killed and one young elephant was injured early on 20 December 2025 when the Sairang–New Delhi Rajdhani Express struck a herd crossing railway tracks in Hojai district of Assam state, causing the locomotive and five coaches to derail, officials said.

According to Reuters, the crash happened at about 2:17 a.m. local time in a forested area not designated as an official elephant corridor, and there were no injuries reported among the 650 passengers and crew aboard the train.

The train was bound for New Delhi from Sairang in Mizoram when the collision occurred, Assam police and Indian Railways spokesperson Kapinjal Kishore Sharma told reporters. He said the loco pilot applied emergency brakes upon seeing the herd of around 100 elephants, but the animals were struck before the train could stop. Five coaches and the engine derailed, interrupting rail services in the region.

Forest officials and railway accident relief teams were quickly dispatched to the site to assess the damage and care for the injured calf, which was removed from the tracks and provided medical attention, according to a report by the Indian News Stream. Passengers in the derailed coaches were shifted to other carriages, and the train continued its journey after additional coaches were attached further along the line.

The accident site, located about 126 kilometres southeast of Guwahati, lies outside a recognised elephant corridor, railway authorities confirmed. Indian Railways maintains that existing speed restrictions and warning systems are in place in official elephant movement zones, but this collision highlighted ongoing challenges where railway lines intersect active wildlife habitats.

Assam’s Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma expressed sorrow over the deaths and ordered an official investigation into the incident, according to The Times of India, instructing the state Forest Department to review patterns of elephant movement and suggest measures to reduce similar accidents. He said officials should consider enhanced monitoring and safety measures, especially during low-visibility hours and peak wildlife movement periods.

The tragic collision adds to a broader pattern of human-wildlife conflict in Assam, where trains frequently cross through territory used by elephants. Wild elephants often stray from forested areas into cropping fields and near rail tracks during the rice harvest season in late autumn and early winter, increasing the likelihood of encounters with trains, Reuters reported.

India has one of the world’s largest populations of wild Asian elephants, with an estimated total approaching 30,000 animals nationwide and several thousand residing in northeastern states such as Assam. Collisions between trains and elephants have been reported repeatedly in recent years, with at least a dozen deaths in the region since 2020, according to conservation data cited by Los Angeles Times.

The incident has revived calls from wildlife experts and environmental groups for expanded protective measures, including the formal designation of more elephant corridors, advance warning systems along rail lines, and collaborative planning between rail authorities and forest departments to reduce future collisions. The Times of India reported that conservationists emphasise the need to balance rail development with wildlife protection.

Restoration efforts continued through the weekend, with rail services diverted and track clearance operations underway as authorities worked to return the section to normal operation and address the immediate aftermath of the crash.