26 killed in minibus and truck collision near Kaziranga National Park
At least 20 people were injured after a passenger vehicle and a container truck collided on National Highway-715 in Assam.
At least 26 people, including women and minors, died on Friday when a minibus collided head-on with a container truck near Kaziranga National Park in Assam, according to The Tribune. The accident occurred at Rangajan in the Kohora range on National Highway-715.
Many of the deceased were college students returning from their classes. The minibus was travelling from Golaghat towards Nagaon, while the container truck was heading towards Upper Assam, officials said.
A senior official stated that the minibus appeared to be travelling at high speed and may have violated restrictions near the park. It is suspected that the driver lost control before the collision. The vehicle involved was reportedly a habitual offender with multiple previous speeding fines.
Twenty people were injured in the crash. While many were initially taken to Kohora Model Hospital, 20 people were referred to Jorhat Medical College and Hospital for advanced treatment. Other injured persons are being treated at Bokakhat Civil Hospital.
Panchayat and Rural Development Minister Atul Bora is overseeing relief operations at the site. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said he would visit the area tomorrow, while Minister Ranoj Pegu is expected to visit Kaziranga soon.
The Golaghat district administration has announced a thorough inquiry to determine if traffic norms, such as speed limits or passenger capacity, were violated. Post-mortems are scheduled to take place at Swahid Kushal Konwar Civil Hospital in Golaghat.