At least 24 people were killed and 11 injured on Friday when a passenger vehicle and a container truck collided head-on near Kaziranga National Park in Assam's Golaghat district. Assam minister Atul Bora gave the toll of 24 dead. Other reports put the number of dead between 23 and 26, and the figures were still changing.
Where and how it happened
The crash was in the Rongajaan area, also spelt Rangajan, near the Hathikuli tea estate in the Kohora range, on National Highway 715, according to a senior police officer. The passenger vehicle was a minibus travelling from Jorhat to Nagaon, and the container truck was heading towards Upper Assam. The cause has not been established. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the preliminary suspicion is that the minibus driver lost control.
Rescue and treatment
Atul Bora, who is also the Bokakhat MLA, went to the site to oversee rescue and relief work, which was continuing when the report was filed. The 11 injured people were taken to Jorhat Medical College and Hospital. Other survivors were admitted to the civil hospital at Bokakhat, and the number there was not given. Police said several other people were injured and rushed to a nearby hospital.
Sarma expressed grief on social media, saying all of Assam stands with the families, and said the top priority is prompt medical care for the injured. The names of the victims and any compensation announcement had not been published at the time of writing.
The toll is provisional, and the count of the injured also varies between reports. The figures here follow the minister's statement and should be updated as the district administration confirms them.
