Death toll rises to 26 in Kaziranga road accident
A head-on collision between a minibus and a container truck near Kaziranga National Park has left 26 people dead.
The death toll from a road accident near Kaziranga National Park in Assam's Golaghat district has reached 26, according to ANI. The accident occurred on Friday when a passenger vehicle and a container truck collided in the Rongajaan area.
Additional District Commissioner of Golaghat Jintu Bora said Jorhat Medical College provided an update raising the toll to 26. Of the deceased, 24 have been identified, while two remain unidentified. Officials noted that nine victims were from Nagaon district, one from Karbi Anglong, and one from Bihar.
The collision involved a minibus travelling from Jorhat to Nagaon and a container truck heading towards Upper Assam, according to Moneycontrol. Police suspect the minibus was speeding and the driver lost control before hitting the truck. Some victims were reportedly college students returning from classes.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma expressed his grief on X, stating that the scale of the loss has shaken everyone. He said all of Assam stands with the bereaved families.
Three teams of doctors from Guwahati Medical College and Jorhat Medical College are conducting post-mortems. The district administration is arranging for the bodies to be transported to their respective hometowns.