A rare “bird hit” incident disrupted a train journey in Jammu and Kashmir’s Anantnag district on Saturday morning, leaving the loco pilot injured after an eagle collided with the windshield.
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According to railway officials, the incident took place between the Bijbehara and Anantnag sections on the Baramulla–Banihal route. “An eagle hit the front windshield of the moving train, shattering part of the glass. The broken shards injured the loco pilot,” an official from the Northern Railway said.
The injured driver, identified as Vishal, was immediately taken off duty at the Anantnag railway station and given first aid treatment. The eagle was also reported to have been injured in the collision, though its current condition remains unknown.
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While bird hits are common in aviation, railway officials admitted that such incidents involving trains are extremely rare. “We have heard of birds colliding with airplanes, but a bird hitting a moving train — that too with such force — is almost unheard of,” a senior railway official added.
