Kanchanjunga Express hits buffalo herd inside tunnel near New Haflong, rail services briefly disrupted

Rail services on the Lumding–Badarpur hill section were briefly disrupted on Monday, April 6 after the Kanchanjunga Express collided with a herd of buffaloes inside a tunnel near New Haflong in Assam’s Dima Hasao district.

According to railway sources, the incident occurred at approximately 11:55 am on April 6 inside Tunnel No. 16, located close to New Haflong Hill station. The passenger train struck a group of buffaloes that had entered the tunnel, leading to multiple animal casualties and temporary obstruction of the track.

Preliminary reports indicated that several buffaloes were caught near the locomotive following the impact. While some animals sustained injuries, a total of eight buffaloes were found dead at the site after being trapped along the tracks and near the engine.

Railway officials said teams from the Railway Engineering Department and the Railway Protection Force (RPF) from New Haflong were immediately deployed to the location. Rescue and clearance operations were initiated to remove the carcasses and restore safe passage for trains.

As part of the response, the train was reversed back to New Haflong station to facilitate the removal of the trapped animals and ensure the safety of the rake and tracks.

Officials confirmed that the track was cleared shortly after, and train movement on the Lumding–Badarpur hill section resumed normal operations following the completion of the clearance work.

No injuries to passengers or railway staff were reported in the incident. Authorities are expected to review safety measures to prevent animals from entering vulnerable sections of the track, particularly tunnels in hilly terrain.