Assam CM announces Rs 9 lakh compensation for Kaziranga accident victims
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced financial aid for the families of 26 people killed in a head-on collision near Kaziranga.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced on Saturday that the families of 26 people killed in a road accident near Kaziranga National Park will receive Rs 9 lakh in compensation each. The fatal collision occurred on Friday, 13 November, near the Hathikuli Tea Estate in the Rangajan area of Golaghat district when a minibus and a container truck collided head-on on National Highway 715.
According to The Sentinel, the total assistance for each bereaved family will be drawn from three sources: Rs 5 lakh from the Chief Minister's Relief Fund, Rs 2 lakh from the Prime Minister's Relief Fund, and Rs 2 lakh from the Assam Revenue Department. NENow reported that the state's contribution would come from the State Disaster Management Authority instead of the Revenue Department.
Sarma visited the accident site to review the situation and described the incident as "heartbreaking". He stated that while no amount of money can make up for such a loss, the government stands with the affected families. The Chief Minister said he would personally visit the homes of every family that lost a member within the next two to three days.
The Chief Minister has ordered a separate post-mortem examination of the traveller driver, Abdul Mujid, to investigate if a medical emergency contributed to the crash. Specialist doctors will examine whether Mujid experienced a cardiac arrest or a sudden drop in blood sugar due to diabetes before the collision.
The accident left approximately 20 passengers injured. ANI reported that 24 victims have been identified, while two remain unidentified. Two of the injured people later died at Jorhat Medical College and Hospital.