Kaziranga Road Accident: At least 23 people lost their lives and several others sustained serious injuries in a devastating head-on collision between a passenger minibus and a container truck near Kaziranga National Park in Assam on Friday afte[rnoon, November 13.
According to media reports and district officials, the tragedy unfolded at Rongajan near the Hathikuli Tea Estate in the Kohora range along National Highway 715, leaving the passenger vehicle completely mangled.
Authorities have cautioned that the death toll could climb further, as several injured passengers remain in critical condition while rescue and identification efforts continue.
How the Kaziranga Highway Collision Unfolded
Kaziranga Road Accident: According to media reports citing police officials, the passenger Tempo Traveller minibus was travelling from the Golaghat-Bokakhat belt toward Nagaon when it crashed head-on into an oncoming container truck heading toward Upper Assam.
Preliminary information indicates that more than 35 passengers were aboard the vehicle at the time of the crash, with many of the victims reported to be college students returning home from classes, alongside women and elderly commuters.
The force of the impact crushed the front and side sections of the minibus, trapping dozens of occupants inside the twisted metal. Local residents and passing motorists were the first to reach the site, immediately working alongside arriving police teams to pull trapped passengers from the wreckage.
Overspeeding Suspected Despite Park Zone Restrictions
Kaziranga Road Accident: Golaghat Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Swapnaneel Deka, who rushed to the accident spot to supervise the response, stated that preliminary inquiries point toward overspeeding as a primary factor behind the crash.
According to media reports, traffic along the National Highway 715 stretch bordering Kaziranga National Park is subject to strict speed limits to protect both wildlife and commuters.
Police officials noted that the minibus was allegedly moving at a very high speed in violation of these restrictions when the driver lost control and slammed into the container truck.
Meanwhile, the truck driver who reportedly escaped with minor injuries along with his assistant told reporters that his vehicle was en route from Tezpur to Dibrugarh when the passenger vehicle veered directly into its path.
Rescue Operations and Medical Evacuations
Kaziranga Road Accident: Emergency medical teams deployed at least nine ambulances to transport victims from the crash site. All injured survivors were initially rushed to the nearby Kohora Model Hospital for emergency stabilization.
According to media reports and statements from Golaghat district officials, doctors subsequently referred up to 20 critically injured patients to advanced medical facilities, including the Jorhat Medical College and Hospital (JMCH), as well as hospitals in Bokakhat and Golaghat, for specialized trauma care. District authorities are currently working to ascertain the identities of all deceased victims and notify their families.
Assam Chief Minister Expresses Grief, Minister Oversees Relief
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma expressed profound sorrow over the massive loss of life in the Kaziranga tragedy. In an official message, the Chief Minister stated that the scale of the tragedy had shaken the entire state and assured bereaved families that Assam stands firmly with them during this difficult hour.
Emphasizing that providing immediate, top-quality medical treatment to the injured remains the administration’s highest priority, Chief Minister Sarma directed senior officials to ensure zero delays in relief efforts.
Assam Panchayat and Rural Development Minister Atul Bora, who also represents the local Bokakhat constituency, arrived at the scene shortly after the crash to personally oversee rescue operations and coordinate hospital referrals.
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