A devastating road accident unfolded on Friday near the Kaziranga National Park in Assam, claiming the lives of 16 people. The tragedy occurred on National Highway-715 when a passenger minibus collided head-on with an oncoming container truck. The violent impact left multiple passengers injured and created immediate panic at the scene. Law enforcement officials have indicated that the death toll could potentially rise as rescue operations continue.
According to local police authorities, the crash took place at Rangajan near the Hatikhuli Tea Estate under the Kohora range. The force of the collision was severe enough to crush parts of the vehicles and trap passengers inside. Police and rescue teams rushed to the site to extract bodies from the wreckage. However, authorities noted that an exact count of how many passengers were originally aboard the minibus could not be immediately determined right after the incident.
Minister Atul Bora Inspects the Scene
Upon receiving news of the fatal crash, Assam Panchayat and Rural Development Minister and local legislator Atul Bora immediately visited the accident site. He took charge of overseeing the ongoing rescue operations and ensuring that medical assistance reached the victims promptly. The injured individuals were initially rushed to the Kohora Model Hospital for emergency medical care. Meanwhile, patients with critical injuries were subsequently referred to the Jorhat Medical College and Hospital for advanced treatment.
Excessive Speed Cited as the Primary Cause
Golaghat Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Swapnaneel Deka stated that initial investigations suggest the minibus was being driven at an exceptionally high speed. The vehicle was reportedly violating speed restrictions mandated around the ecologically sensitive national park zone. Investigators suspect that the excessive momentum caused the driver to completely lose control of the vehicle, leading directly into the path of the oncoming container truck. Police inquiries into the broader circumstances of the crash remain active.
Separate Highway Collision Claims Four Lives in Sagar
In a separate road incident elsewhere, a high-speed truck and an SUV collided head-on along National Highway-44 near Gopalpura under the Devari police station limits in the Sagar district of Madhya Pradesh. Four occupants inside the SUV died instantly at the scene, while five others sustained critical injuries. The victims were all residents of Bhesa village and were travelling to Barman for a holy dip in the Narmada river on the occasion of Amavasya. The impact was so severe that the SUV was mangled beyond recognition, requiring rescue workers to cut open the vehicle to extricate those trapped inside.
