At least 23 killed in truck and minibus collision in Assam
The head-on collision occurred on Friday afternoon near Kaziranga National Park in the Golaghat district.
At least 23 people died and several others were injured after a minibus and a container truck collided head-on near Kaziranga National Park in Assam on Friday, according to reports from South First, Pragativadi and Rediff.
The accident took place around 2:30 pm at Rangajan on National Highway 715 in the Kohora range of Golaghat district. The passenger vehicle, a Traveller carrying over 35 people including students from Kaziranga High School, was travelling from Bokakhat toward Nagaon when it hit the oncoming goods trailer.
Golaghat Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Swapaneel Deka confirmed at least 23 fatalities have been recorded. A police officer stated that among the deceased were two women and many college students returning from classes.
Rescue operations were launched by residents, police, and district administration officials. An executive magistrate of Golaghat district told reporters that the identities of the dead are being ascertained and warned that the death toll could rise.
The injured were transported to Kohora Model Hospital, while others were referred to Bokakhat Civil Hospital and Jorhat Medical College and Hospital for advanced care. Preliminary police assessments suggest overspeeding on the restricted Kaziranga stretch may have caused the driver to lose control.