Kaziranga Accident: 26 dead, 20 injured; dashcam footage shows minibus crossing into truck’s lane in Assam

At least 26 people, including women and minors, were killed and 20 others injured after a minibus collided head-on with a container truck near Kaziranga National Park in Assam’s Golaghat district on November 13, officials said.

Many of the victims were college students returning from their classes when the accident took place 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, police said.

The death toll rose during the day as several injured victims succumbed to their injuries. Dipam Kumar Barman, a senior doctor at Kohora Model Hospital, confirmed that the number of fatalities had increased to 26.

“The total number of dead in the accident has increased to 26. Ambulances have taken the people to different hospitals, and we are collecting the data from them,” he said.

Earlier, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had said that at least 24 people had died in the accident, adding that college students were among the victims. He said several critically injured people were being treated at Bokakhat Civil Hospital and Jorhat Medical College and Hospital.

The Chief Minister said Minister Ranoj Pegu would visit Kaziranga and that he would personally visit the area on Saturday.

20 injured, several shifted to Jorhat

The injured were initially taken to Kohora Model Hospital, while those requiring advanced treatment were referred to hospitals in Bokakhat, Golaghat and Jorhat.

An Executive Magistrate of Golaghat district said nine ambulances had been deployed to transport the injured. Around 20 injured people were referred to Jorhat for advanced medical care, he said.

Panchayat and Rural Development Minister Atul Bora, who is also the local MLA, reached the accident site and supervised the rescue and relief operations.

Bora said he was visiting hospitals to assess the condition of the injured and review the treatment being provided to them. He added that instructions had been issued to ensure that all injured people received the best possible medical care.

He also said the postmortem examinations of the deceased would be conducted at Swahid Kushal Konwar Civil Hospital in Golaghat on Saturday during the daytime, as directed by the Chief Minister.

14 victims identified

Officials have identified 14 of the deceased as Jyoti Majhi, Darpana Majhi, Anurag Goala (12), Abdul Mujid, the driver of the minibus, Subhash, the handyman, Rashid Ali, Hafiza Khatun, Farhana Yasmin, K R Lobho, Amjad Ali, Bulbul Ali, Baby Karmakar, Damini Ghatowar and Dipanjali Rongphar.

The identification process of the remaining victims is underway.

Police suspect overspeeding; probe ordered

Golaghat Senior Superintendent of Police Swapnaneel Deka said senior civil and police officials had reached the accident site to oversee rescue operations.

The exact number of passengers travelling in the minibus was not immediately known, although police estimated that around 45 people could have been on board.

A senior police official said preliminary findings indicated that the minibus was travelling at high speed and may have violated traffic restrictions imposed in the area near Kaziranga National Park.

“We think that the accident took place when the driver of the minibus lost control, and the vehicle collided with the container truck,” the official said.

The impact of the collision was severe, leaving the front portion of the minibus completely mangled. The container truck also skidded off the road.

A purported video recorded by a camera mounted on the container truck’s dashboard has surfaced on social media. The footage appears to show the minibus approaching at high speed before crossing into the truck’s lane and colliding with it. The circumstances leading to the crash are being investigated.

An official of the Golaghat District Transport Office said the minibus had previously attracted multiple traffic fines, including for overspeeding.

According to the official, the vehicle was registered in the name of Anjir Ali of Nagaon and was fined Rs 4,000 in Jorhat on March 3 for allegedly travelling at 102 kmph. It had also received multiple overspeeding fines in the Kaziranga area, some of which were reportedly pending.

The district administration has ordered a thorough inquiry to determine the exact circumstances of the accident and whether either vehicle violated traffic regulations, including speed limits and passenger-capacity rules.

PM announces Rs 2 lakh ex-gratia; Rs 50,000 for injured

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief over the loss of lives and announced financial assistance from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF).

The next of kin of each deceased will receive Rs 2 lakh, while the injured will be given Rs 50,000 each.

In a post on X, the Prime Minister’s Office said the Prime Minister was deeply saddened by the accident and extended condolences to the bereaved families, while praying for the speedy recovery of the injured.

Governor, Chief Minister express grief

Assam Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya expressed profound grief over the accident, saying the tragedy had shaken the entire state.

In his condolence message, the Governor extended his heartfelt sympathies to the families who lost their loved ones and prayed for the speedy recovery of those injured.

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma also expressed deep distress over the incident, saying the scale of the loss had shaken Assam.

“The scale of this loss has shaken all of us, and my heart goes out to every family that has lost a loved one. No words can ease their pain, but I want them to know that they are not alone. All of Assam stands with them in this hour of grief,” Sarma said in a social media post.

He said the immediate priority was to ensure that the injured received the best possible medical treatment without delay. The Chief Minister also prayed for their recovery and strength for the bereaved families..