KAZIRANGA (Assam), Nov 13: At least 26 people, including women and children, lost their lives and 20 others sustained injuries after a minibus collided head on with a container truck near Kaziranga National Park in Assam on Friday. Several college students returning from their classes were among those killed in the devastating accident, officials said.
The collision occurred at Rangajan, near Hathikuli Tea Estate in the Kohora range, along National Highway-715. The minibus was travelling from Golaghat towards Nagaon, while the container truck was heading towards Upper Assam.
The tragic incident triggered widespread grief across the state, with President Droupadi Murmu, Vice President C P Radhakrishnan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah expressing condolences to the bereaved families.
Prime Minister Modi announced an ex-gratia payment of Rs 2 lakh to the next of kin of each deceased person from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF), while those injured will receive Rs 50,000 each.
A senior doctor at Kohora Model Hospital, Dipam Kumar Barman, confirmed that the death toll had climbed to 26. He said ambulances had shifted the victims to different medical facilities and hospital authorities were gathering information about those admitted.
Earlier, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had confirmed that at least 24 people had died, including college students. He expressed deep anguish over the loss of lives and assured the affected families that the state government was extending all necessary assistance.
Several critically injured passengers were shifted to Bokakhat Civil Hospital, Golaghat Civil Hospital and Jorhat Medical College and Hospital for specialised treatment.
Sarma said Panchayat and Rural Development Minister Atul Bora, who represents the area, was already at the accident site supervising rescue and relief arrangements. Minister Ranoj Pegu was also scheduled to visit Kaziranga, while the Chief Minister announced that he would reach the area the following day.
An Executive Magistrate from Golaghat district said the death toll had risen rapidly because several injured passengers were in critical condition. Nine ambulances were deployed to transport the victims, while 20 injured people were referred to Jorhat for advanced medical care.
Officials initially said the minibus was carrying approximately 45 passengers, although the exact number of occupants had not been established immediately.
Fourteen deceased victims were identified as Jyoti Majhi, Darpana Majhi, Anurag Goala, a 12-year-old boy, Abdul Mujid, the minibus driver, Subhash, its handyman, Rashid Ali, Hafiza Khatun, Farhana Yasmin, K R Lobho, Amjad Ali, Bulbul Ali, Baby Karmakar, Damini Ghatowar and Dipanjali Rongphar.
Minister Atul Bora visited the hospitals to assess the condition of the injured and review the medical arrangements. He said instructions had been issued to ensure that all victims received the best possible treatment.
He also announced that postmortem examinations would be conducted at Swahid Kushal Konwar Civil Hospital in Golaghat on Saturday during the daytime, following directions from the Chief Minister.
Golaghat Senior Superintendent of Police Swapnaneel Deka said senior administrative and police officials had reached the accident site to coordinate rescue operations and provide assistance.
The impact of the collision was severe, leaving the front portion of the minibus completely crushed. The container truck also skidded off the highway and came to a halt beside the road.
Preliminary information suggested that overspeeding and a possible loss of control by the minibus driver may have contributed to the accident. An official said the passenger vehicle was allegedly travelling at a high speed despite restrictions imposed in the vicinity of Kaziranga National Park.
A purported dashcam video of the collision, which subsequently circulated on social media, appeared to show the minibus approaching the truck at considerable speed before crossing into its lane and crashing into the goods carrier. Authorities are examining the footage as part of the investigation.
The Golaghat district administration has ordered a detailed inquiry to establish the exact circumstances behind the tragedy. Investigators will examine whether either vehicle violated traffic regulations, including speed restrictions and passenger capacity requirements.
Meanwhile, an official from the Golaghat District Transport Office revealed that the minibus had previously attracted multiple traffic fines for overspeeding.
According to the official, the vehicle was registered in the name of Anjir Ali of Nagaon and had been fined Rs 4,000 in Jorhat on March 3 for travelling at 102 kmph. It had also reportedly received several speeding challans in the Kaziranga area, with multiple penalties remaining unpaid.
Assam Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya expressed profound sorrow over the incident, describing the loss of lives as a tragedy that had deeply affected the entire state. He conveyed his sympathies to the families of the deceased and wished those injured a speedy recovery.
In a social media message, Chief Minister Sarma said the scale of the tragedy had left him deeply distressed. He assured the affected families of the government’s support and reiterated that providing immediate and appropriate medical assistance to the injured remained the administration’s foremost priority.
The accident has once again highlighted concerns over road safety, speeding and compliance with traffic regulations, particularly on highways passing through ecologically sensitive areas such as Kaziranga.
Authorities said further action would be taken after the investigation establishes the circumstances that led to the deadly collision.