At least 23 dead in minibus and truck collision near Kaziranga
A minibus carrying passengers, including college students, collided head-on with a container truck on National Highway 715 on Friday.
At least 23 people died and 20 others were injured after a minibus collided head-on with a container truck near Kaziranga in Assam on Friday afternoon, according to reports from Times of India and Moneycontrol.
The accident occurred at Rangajan near Hathikuli Tea Estate in the Kohora range on National Highway 715. The minibus was travelling from Jorhat towards Nagaon when it crashed into the truck, which was heading towards Upper Assam.
The collision completely damaged the minibus. Many of the victims were college students returning from classes. An Executive Magistrate of Golaghat district stated that the death toll was rising fast and that the identities of the deceased were being ascertained.
Cabinet Minister Atul Bora, who reached the site, said the impact on the minibus indicated overspeeding. A senior police officer told PTI that the bus was running at high speed, violating restrictions near the park, and the driver may have lost control.
Injured passengers were admitted to Kohora Model Hospital, with 13 referred to Jorhat Medical College and Hospital. Other injured persons were shifted to hospitals in Bokakhat and Golaghat.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma expressed distress over the accident and said the priority was ensuring the injured receive medical care. He noted that Minister Atul Bora was personally overseeing relief arrangements at the site.