12 killed as minibus and container collide head-on in Assam:College students among victims; rescue underway

A speeding minibus and a container lorry collided head-on in Kaziranga, Assam, on Friday. Media reports put the death toll at 23, but the news agency PTI has confirmed 12 deaths. Most of those killed were students. The minibus was badly damaged in the impact, with several passengers trapped inside. Rescue teams are cutting open the vehicle to recover bodies. It is not yet known how many people were on board. The accident took place at Rangajan, near Hathikuli Tea Estate in the Kohora range, along National Highway 715. A senior police officer said the passenger vehicle collided head-on with the container truck, leaving several people trapped inside. Golaghat Senior Superintendent of Police Swapnaneel Deka told PTI that the initial report confirmed at least seven fatalities. “We have got a preliminary report that at least seven people were killed in the accident. We are all at the spot, and bodies are being retrieved from the bus, so the number of deaths is likely to rise,” he said. Injured shifted to hospitals; minister reaches accident site Those injured in the collision were taken to Kohora Model Hospital for treatment, while most of the critically injured were referred to Jorhat Medical College and Hospital. Assam Panchayat and Rural Development Minister Atul Bora, who is also the local MLA, reached the accident site soon after the incident and was overseeing rescue and relief operations. Deka said the minibus was allegedly travelling at a very high speed and violating restrictions imposed in the area near the national park. Police suspect the driver lost control of the vehicle before it crashed into the container truck. “We think that the accident took place when the driver of the minibus lost control, and the vehicle collided with the container truck,” the SSP said. Assam CM Sarma expresses grief Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma expressed deep grief over the accident near Kaziranga, saying the loss of lives had shaken the state. He extended his condolences to the families of those killed and assured them that the people of Assam stood with them during the difficult time.