Seven elephants were killed and one injured when a Delhi-bound train collided with a herd in northeast India early on Saturday (December 20), district police chief VV Rakesh Reddy said.

The incident in the Hojai district of Assam state occurred at a location that is not a designated elephant corridor, Northeast Frontier Railway said in a statement.

The locomotive pilot applied the emergency brakes upon seeing the herd, but the elephants rushed toward the train, the company said.

The collision at 2:17 a.m. (2047 GMT on Friday) caused the locomotive and five coaches of the train to derail, but no people were injured, the statement said.

"Trains scheduled to pass through that section are being diverted through another line. Restoration works are on," the railway said.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

HOJAI, ASSAM, INDIA (DECEMBER 20, 2025) (ANI - No use India)

1. VARIOUS OF RESIDENTS, RESCUERS AND FOREST OFFICIALS AT TRAIN COLLISION SITE/CRANE AT SITE/CARCASS OF ELEPHANT LYING IN FRONT OF TRAIN

HOJAI, ASSAM, INDIA (DECEMBER 20, 2025) (NORTHEAST FRONTIER RAILWAY - No use India)

2. CARCASS OF ELEPHANT LYING IN FRONT OF TRAIN

3. DERAILED TRAIN

HOJAI, ASSAM, INDIA (DECEMBER 20, 2025) (ANI - No use India)

4. RESIDENTS, RESCUERS AND FOREST OFFICIALS AT TRAIN COLLISION SITE

5. RECOVERY OPERATIONS UNDERWAY

6. CARCASS OF ELEPHANT/HALTED TRAIN

7. CARCASS OF ELEPHANT

8. PEOPLE GATHERED NEAR ACCIDENT SITE/CRANE DIGGING PIT/CARCASS OF ELEPHANT LYING NEXT TO PIT

9. RECOVERY OPERATIONS UNDERWAY AT ACCIDENT SITE