23 killed in minibus and truck collision near Kaziranga National Park
At least 20 people were injured in the head-on accident on National Highway-715 in Assam.
At least 23 people died and 20 others were injured after a minibus and a container truck collided head-on near Kaziranga National Park in Assam on Friday, according to Rediff.
The accident occurred at Rangajan on National Highway-715 near the Hathikuli Tea Estate. The minibus was travelling from Golaghat to Nagaon, while the container truck was heading towards Upper Assam.
Among the deceased were two women and several college students who were travelling home after their lessons, a police officer said. An executive magistrate of Golaghat district noted that the death toll could increase.
Officials suspect the minibus was speeding and lost control before hitting the truck. A thorough enquiry will be conducted to determine if traffic norms, such as speed limits or passenger capacity, were violated.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma expressed his distress over the tragedy and stated that the priority is ensuring the injured receive medical care. Assam panchayat and rural development minister Atul Bora was at the site to supervise rescue operations.
The injured were taken to Kohora Model Hospital, with 20 people referred to Jorhat for advanced treatment. Additional district commissioner Jintu Borah said postmortems would be conducted at Swahid Kushal Konwar Civil Hospital in Golaghat.