Kaziranga Accident: 3 of 20 injured admitted to JMCH die, death toll rises to 26

The death toll in the horrific road accident near Rongajan in Assam’s Kaziranga has risen to 26, with three of the 20 injured people admitted to Jorhat Medical College and Hospital (JMCH) succumbing to their injuries.

The latest victim has been identified as Lakshmi Mai Majhi, a student who died while undergoing treatment at JMCH.

With three deaths reported among the 20 injured patients referred to the hospital, 17 people are currently undergoing treatment. Of them, six are battling for their lives in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), with their condition reported to be critical.

The accident, which took place at Rongajan near Hathikuli Tea Estate along National Highway 715 in Golaghat district, involved a head-on collision between a minibus and a container truck.

The minibus was travelling from Golaghat towards Nagaon when it collided with the truck, which was heading towards Upper Assam.

Among the deceased identified so far are Jyoti Majhi, Darpana Majhi, 12-year-old Anurag Goala, Abdul Mujid, the minibus driver, Subhash, the handyman, Rashid Ali, Hafiza Khatun, Farhana Yasmin, K R Lobho, Amjad Ali, Bulbul Ali, Baby Karmakar, Damini Ghatowar and Dipanjali Rongphar.

A 38-year-old man from Bihar, identified as Mohammad Rafiq Ali, son of Sami Ahmed and a resident of Tufanpur in Madhubani district, was also among the victims. Lakshmi Mai Majhi is the latest victim identified following her death at JMCH.

Earlier, Golaghat Additional District Commissioner Jintu Bora said that 25 deaths had been reported, including 14 women and 11 men. He had stated that 23 of the 25 victims had been identified at the time, while two remained unidentified.

The district administration had arranged for post-mortem examinations and transportation of the deceased to their respective homes.

The tragedy has triggered widespread grief across Assam, with several families mourning the loss of their loved ones while the injured continue to receive treatment.