At Least 26 Killed in Bus-Truck Collision Near Kaziranga
A head-on collision between a passenger minibus and a container truck near Assam's Kaziranga National Park on Friday killed at least 26 people, among them two women and a minor, and left 20 injured, officials told The Hindu. Many of the victims were college students heading home after classes, The Hindu reported. A senior officer told The Hindu the crash happened at Rangajan near Hathikuli Tea Estate in the Kohora range on National Highway 715.
Rescue, Hospital Care, and Victim Identification
Kohora Model Hospital senior doctor Dipam Kumar Barman told The Hindu the death toll had climbed to 26 as ambulances transported victims to various hospitals. NDTV reported, citing IANS, that more than 35 passengers were aboard the minibus when it hit the truck while travelling from Bokakhat to Nagaon. According to The Hindu, an Executive Magistrate of Golaghat district said nine ambulances ferried the injured and doctors referred 20 patients to Jorhat Medical College and Hospital for advanced care, while others were treated at Kohora Model Hospital and Bokakhat Civil Hospital.
Eight of the deceased were identified by the Golaghat Executive Magistrate as Jyoti Majhi, Darpana Majhi, 12-year-old Anurag Goala, minibus driver Abdul Mujid, minibus handyman Subhash, Rashid Ali, Hafiza Khatun, and Farhana Yasmin, The Hindu reported. Golaghat Senior Superintendent of Police Swapnaneel Deka told PTI that senior civil and police officers reached the scene to assist rescues and that the exact passenger count on the bus was not yet known, The Hindu noted.
Inquiry and Political Reactions
A Golaghat district administration official told PTI that an inquiry will examine how the crash happened and whether either vehicle broke traffic rules on seating capacity or speed limits near the park, The Hindu reported. An official quoted by PTI said the minibus had been travelling at high speed in violation of park-area restrictions when its driver apparently lost control, according to The Hindu. A Golaghat District Transport Office official told The Hindu the bus, registered to Anjir Ali of Nagaon, had repeated overspeeding fines, including a 4,000-rupee penalty in Jorhat on March 3 for driving at 102 kmph and pending fines in Kaziranga.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said during an event in Biswanath that Minister Ranoj Pegu would visit Kaziranga soon and that he would travel there on Saturday, The Hindu reported. Panchayat and Rural Development Minister Atul Bora visited the crash site and hospitals, noting on social media that autopsies will be held during daytime on Saturday at Swahid Kushal Konwar Civil Hospital in Golaghat on Sarma's orders, according to The Hindu. Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, and Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi posted condolences on X and wished the injured a speedy recovery, NDTV reported. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma stated that the state government's foremost priority is ensuring the injured receive the best possible medical care without delay.