of Assam Kaziranga National Park On Friday, a road accident took place near which shocked the entire country. A tempo traveler loaded with passengers and a container truck collided head-on in Rangajan area of Golaghat district. The collision was so severe that the passenger vehicle was blown to pieces and many people in it did not even get a chance to recover. A large number of people lost their lives in this tragic accident, while many passengers were injured.
Initial reports put the death toll at 23 to 24, while some later reports put the figure at 26. Therefore, different updates are coming out regarding the number of deaths. Relief and rescue operations were conducted after the accident. Along with this, let us tell you that the name of the bus driver is Abdul Masjid. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also expressed grief over the accident and announced financial assistance for the families of the deceased and the injured.
How did such a terrible accident happen in Kaziranga?
This tragic accident happened on Friday near Hathikuli Tea Estate in Rangajan area of Golaghat district. This place is located on National Highway-715 in the Kohora range of Kaziranga National Park. According to the information, a mini bus (Tempo Traveller) full of passengers going from Jorhat to Guwahati collided with a container truck coming from the front.
The collision was head-on and was so strong that the front part of the passenger vehicle was completely damaged. The passengers sitting in the vehicle did not even get a chance to get out. There was hue and cry on the spot after the accident. People present nearby ran to help and started pulling the injured out of the vehicle. According to media reports, there were around 35 to 40 people in the passenger vehicle. These included college students and other passengers. The children and the driver also lost their lives in the accident.
Accident or Abdul's negligence – see in VIDEO
What did the container driver tell? Whose fault was the accident?
The statement of the container driver has also come to light after the accident. He accused the driver of the passenger vehicle of driving at high speed. According to the container driver, he was coming from Tezpur in his prescribed direction and lane, when a passenger vehicle coming from the front hit his container. The driver said, 'We were coming from Tezpur on the right, from our side. The passenger came and hit us from the front.
The container driver claims that the passenger vehicle was traveling at a very high speed. On the other hand, preliminary investigation by Assam Police has also expressed suspicion that the mini bus was traveling at high speed and the driver had lost control of the vehicle. According to Golaghat SSP Swapnil Deka, the police is investigating all aspects of the accident. It is also being investigated at the local level whether the traffic restrictions imposed in Kaziranga area were followed or not. However, till now the investigation has not conclusively proved the fault of any one driver. The statement of the container driver is his side and the real reason for the accident will become clear only after the investigation is completed.
Was the entire incident of the accident captured in CCTV?
CCTV footage and video from the spot are being discussed regarding the accident. The scenes of the accident are extremely disturbing. The magnitude of the collision can be estimated by looking at the condition of the passenger vehicle. CCTV footage that captures a few seconds before the collision can help in understanding the direction, speed of the vehicles and the circumstances of the collision. However, the official information received at present does not confirm any particular two-second CCTV footage. Therefore, before considering the video as proof of an accident, it is necessary to verify its source.
Green corridor built to save the injured
After the accident, the local administration, police and health department immediately started relief and rescue operations. The injured were first taken to Kohora Model Hospital. The seriously injured passengers were referred to Jorhat Medical College and Hospital for better treatment. According to Health Minister Ashok Singhal, a green corridor was made to take the injured to the hospital. The injured were taken to the hospital with the help of seven ambulances. Emergency medical arrangements were also activated in hospitals. According to the Times of India report, 13 injured were referred to Jorhat Medical College and Hospital. The process of identifying the dead also continued during the relief and rescue operations.
Minister Atul Bora reached the spot, handled the relief work himself
As soon as information about the accident was received, Assam Government's Panchayat and Rural Development Minister Atul Bora reached the spot. He is also an MLA from Bokakhat assembly seat of Golaghat district. The minister told that he was returning from Guwahati when he saw the scene after the accident on the way. After this, he along with the local people helped in taking the injured to the hospital and supervised the relief and rescue operations. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma also expressed deep grief over the accident. He said that the priority of the government is to provide better medical facilities to the injured as soon as possible.
PM Modi announced compensation for the families of the deceased
Expressing grief over the Kaziranga accident, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced financial assistance for the families of the deceased and the injured. According to the information released by the Prime Minister's Office: Each family of the deceased will be given an ex-gratia amount of Rs 2 lakh from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund (PMNRF). Each person injured in the accident will get financial assistance of Rs 50 thousand. The Prime Minister said that he is deeply saddened by the death of people in the accident in Golaghat district of Assam. He expressed condolences to the bereaved families and wished for the speedy recovery of the injured.
Who were the people who lost their lives in the accident?
Along with the passengers, the driver and other people were also involved in the accident. Initial information has revealed the names of passenger driver Abdul Majid and assistant Subhash Das. Apart from this, names of Hafiza Khatoon, Farhana Yasmin, Deepanjali Rangfar, Purnima Goula, Anurag Goula, Damini Ghatwar, Shishu Karmakar, Jyoti Majhi and Darpan Majhi have also come forward. However, it is necessary to get the final deceased list and official confirmation of identity of these names from the district administration. The complete list will be clear only after the process of identification and post-mortem of the dead.