Golaghat: The death toll in the horrific road accident near Kaziranga National Park in Assam has been confirmed at 23, after a passenger Traveller collided head-on with a container truck in Golaghat district on Friday. Several others were injured in the crash, while rescue and relief operations continued at the accident site.
The accident took place in the Rangajan area, near Hathikuli Tea Estate in the Kohora range, along National Highway-715. The passenger vehicle was travelling from Bokakhat towards Nagaon when it collided with the container truck.
According to officials, at least 23 people have died in the collision, while around 20 injured passengers were taken for medical treatment. Several of those who lost their lives were college students returning from their classes. Two women were also among the deceased.
The impact of the collision left the passenger vehicle badly damaged, with several occupants trapped inside the wreckage. Police personnel, local residents and emergency teams rushed to the spot to carry out rescue operations. Nine ambulances were deployed to transport the injured, while some patients were referred to Jorhat for advanced treatment.
Police Suspect Overspeeding
Police suspect that the passenger vehicle was travelling at high speed and may have lost control before crashing into the truck. Golaghat Senior Superintendent of Police Swapnaneel Deka said preliminary information pointed towards overspeeding. The exact circumstances of the accident are being investigated.
CM Himanta Biswa Sarma Expresses Grief
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma expressed deep distress over the tragedy and conveyed his condolences to the families who lost their loved ones.
In a message, Sarma said the scale of the loss had shaken everyone and assured the affected families that the people of Assam stood with them during this difficult time.
He also said the government’s immediate priority was to ensure that the injured received the best possible medical treatment without delay. The Chief Minister assured that the state government would extend support to those affected by the accident.
The authorities are continuing rescue and relief efforts, while further details about the victims and the circumstances leading to the collision are awaited.
Guwahati: At least 20 people are feared dead after a container truck collided head-on with a mini-bus in Assam’s Kaziranga on Friday (November 13). Most of those travelling in the mini-bus were reportedly students.
The accident took place on National Highway 715 at Rangajan, near Hathikuli Tea Estate in the Kohora range. The mini-bus was travelling from Bokakhat towards Nagaon when the container truck hit it, leaving the vehicle badly mangled.
Several passengers were feared trapped inside the damaged mini-bus following the collision. Local residents and police personnel rushed to the spot and joined the rescue operation.
The injured were taken to Kohora Model Hospital for treatment. Those in critical condition were later referred to Jorhat Medical College and Hospital.
Rescue Operation Underway, Death Toll Yet To Be Confirmed
Rescue teams are continuing efforts to retrieve passengers from the damaged vehicle. The casualty figure has not yet been officially confirmed, and the number of deaths could change as the operation progresses.
Earlier, Golaghat Senior Superintendent of Police Swapnaneel Deka said that the police had received a preliminary report of at least seven deaths. He added that bodies were still being retrieved from the vehicle and the toll was likely to rise.
Assam Panchayat and Rural Development Minister Atul Bora, who is also the local MLA, reached the accident site and supervised the rescue operation.
Bora suggested that the mini-bus may have been travelling at high speed and violating traffic restrictions imposed near the national park.
“The bus was running at very high speed, violating restrictions imposed near the park. We think that the accident took place when the driver of the minibus lost control, and the vehicle collided with the container truck,” he said.
The exact cause of the collision is yet to be established.