At least 26 people were killed when a minibus collided head-on with a container truck near Kaziranga National Park on Friday, November 13. The minibus was carrying mostly students. Several others were injured and rushed to hospitals, and nine ambulances were sent to the spot. Assam Minister and Bokakhat MLA Atul Bora reached the site to oversee rescue and relief work.
Dashcam Footage Shows Minibus Crossing Lane
Dashcam video has since surfaced and appears to show the minibus speeding before it lost control and crossed into the wrong lane. It then rammed into the oncoming truck. Authorities are still investigating the exact circumstances of the crash.
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Survivors Allege Overcrowding And Speeding
Survivors say the minibus was severely overcrowded and moving at high speed just before the collision. These accounts, along with the truck driver’s statement and the video, suggest that overloading and speed contributed to the crash.
Traffic Violations Under Scrutiny
Atul Bora said speeding and violation of traffic rules led to the tragedy. Reports say the minibus had more than 10 pending challans and ₹4,000 in unpaid fines. This raises questions about how such a vehicle stayed on the road.
Gaurav Gogoi Blames Corruption
Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi expressed condolences to the families and called the crash preventable. Speaking to ANI from Hyderabad, he alleged that corruption, poor construction quality and a nexus between contractors and politicians had left Assam’s highways in a deplorable state. “The highways in Assam have become a den of corruption,” he said, adding that accidents happen every month. He also questioned why tolls are collected when roads are not properly maintained.
Government Response
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma expressed grief, directed immediate relief measures and announced he would visit the accident site on Saturday to review the treatment of the injured.
