Out for an al-fresco, 12 people, part of a group of over 40 were killed as the bus they were travelling on, collided with an oncoming coal-laden truck in Dergaon in Assam’s Golaghat district early on Wednesday morning.
While 10 bodies were pulled out from the wreckage including five women and a minor boy, over 20 others sustained minor to major injuries in the accident, officials informed.
The accident took place at around 5 am on national highway 37 when the passenger bus with 45 people onboard crashed into an oncoming coal-laden dumper.
The bus was headed from Golaghat towards Tinsukia when the accident took place at Balijan near Dergaon which falls under the Golaghat East tehsil of Assam's Golaghat district.
The drivers of both the vehicles were killed on the spot. The injured were rushed to Dergaon civil hospital, while those with critical injuries were referred to Jorhat Medical College and Hospital (JMCH).
A resident of village said, “There were 45 people in the group left the village at around 3 am today to visit the Tilinga Mandir and then head for a picnic at Bogibeel. So far, we have been told that three to four members of the same family have been killed. It is really very sad.”
“Over 12 people were killed in the accident. We have not been given the names of the deceased, yet. We wish that those injured come back strong,” he added.
Meanwhile, Golaghat superintendent of police Rajen Singh said, “We recovered 10 bodies from the bus and truck. Of the 27 injured who were shifted to JMCH, two have succumbed to their injuries. A case of death due to rash and negligent driving has been registered and we will begin investigations.”
The accident is thought to have taken place as the coal truck was diverted to the opposite lane due to ongoing construction works on one side of the national highway. Amid low visibility due to fog in the early morning hours, the speeding bus rammed into the coal-truck causing the accident.
Locals have alleged negligence on the part of authorities. Speaking to Pratidin Time, a Dergaon resident said that amid ongoing construction works, there are no proper road safety instructions laid down. He highlighted the absence of road signs informing of diversions and authorities only sending low-ranked officials to visit the construction site, highlighting the negligence.
The district commissioner of Golaghat P Uday Praveen said, “A repair of the road was going on one side of the NH, which is why vehicles from both directions were using the other side of the divider. Eyewitnesses said the truck, which was coming at a very high speed, hit the bus.”
The condition of four to five people admitted at JMCH remains critical, while two people were brought dead, taking the death toll to 12 in the Dergaon accident. The remaining people are being administered first aid, informed Purnima Barua, medical superintendent at JMCH.
Further details on the Dergaon accident are awaited.
