Less than a week after Modi flagged it off, India's high-speed Vande Bharat Express rams into buffaloes

It was less than a week ago that Indian prime minister Narendra Modi had flagged off the Gandhinagar-Mumbai Vande Bharat Express from the capital of the western state of Gujarat which he had visited.

On Thursday (6) morning, the same new-age train of the Indian railways met with an accident by ramming into a herd of buffaloes and sustained minor damages. Official sources said that around 11.20 am local time, the train rammed into the buffaloes between Gairatpur and Vatva railway stations in Gujarat. A railroad spokesperson said the animals suddenly came in front of the Gandhinagar-bound Vande Bharat Express and the collision left the train's nose made up of fiber-reinforced plastic damaged.

Indian prime minister Narendra Modi flags off the Vande Bharat Express train between Gandhinagar and Mumbai at Gandhinagar Station, Gujarat, on Friday, September 30, 2022. (ANI Photo)

The train, however, was still functional and the spokesperson said that it resumed its journey after the carcasses were removed and reached Gandhinagar on time. Railway sources said that they were trying to counsel local villagers not to leave cattle near the track.

PM Modi flagged off the train on September 30, during his two-day visit to the state.

The Mumbai-Gandhinagar Vande Bharat Express train is the third of its kind. It was created as part of the 'Make in India' initiative and as Modi said during his Independence Day speech in 2021, will join every part of the country gradually. The train can reach a top speed of 160 kilometres per hour (kmph) and accelerate to 100 kmph from a complete stop in less than a minute.