Mumbai-Gandhinagar Vande Bharat Express damaged after hitting buffalo herd in Gujarat

The recently inaugarated Vande Bharat Express train transiting between Mumbai and Gandhinagar suffered visible damage to its pilot coach after it collided with a herd of buffaloes on Wednesday.

According to a Western Railway officer, the incident occurred at around 11.15 am between Vatva and Maninagar stations in Gujarat when the cattle herd blocked the railway line. The official further informed that the accident has damaged the front part of the engine as was seen in the images that surfaced. 

This comes just a week after the Gandhinagar-Mumbai Vande Bharat Express was flagged off on September 30.

(Image: Republic)

(Image: Republic)

In the pictures taken after the collision, parts from the coach's front portion fell apart. Stains of blood resulting from the accident were also visible on the damaged portion. Around three to four buffaloes were killed in the accident, the official revealed.

The indigenously designed semi-high speed train has a total of 16 coaches which, according to the railways, has a range of world-class facilities such as air-conditioning, sliding doors, personalised reading lights, mobile charging points, attendant call buttons, bio-toilets, automatic entry and exit doors, CCTV cameras, reclining facility and comfortable seats. For other safety measures, the train has a floodproofing feature for under-slung electrical equipment that will withstand floods up to a height of 650 mm.

This is the third Vande Bharat Express in the country, the first being on New Delhi-Varanasi route, while the second one on the New Delhi-Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra route. According to PTI, this is the first train with airplane-like bio-vacuum toilets with touch-free amenities and also has a special lavatory for disabled passengers.