Assam: Nine killed, 26 injured as night-bus falls into rive in Nagaon district

Assam : At least nine persons were killed – five of them women – and 26 others injured when a night bus run by the Assam State Transport Corporation (ASTC) went off the highway and fell into a small river in Nagaon district in central Assam late last night.

Nagaon district SP Arabinda Kalita said the ill-fated bus was on its way from North Lakhimpur in eastern Assam to Guwahati when the accident occurred. Majority of the passengers were on their way to catch a train in Guwahati today morning en route to Lucknow and other places for visiting some places of pilgrimage.

“The bus which had also picked up some other passengers on the way must have lost control following which it hit the railings of a bridge and fell into a small river. While eight persons had died on the spot, one person died on being shifted to a hospital,” SP Kalita said. The accident occurred at village Uluwoni under Kaliabor police station at around 1:30 AM, after having traveled about two kilometers after crossing the Kaliabhomora bridge on the Brahmaputra.

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Eight of the dead have been identified as Pranita Dutta, Jogen Barua, Padumi Barua, Nila Bora, Dhanada Saikia, Kusha Gogoi (driver), Ananda Bora and his wife Nilima Bora. While 26 others who were rescued by local villagers and sent to local hospitals at Kaliabor and Nagaon, 10 of them were later shifted to Guwahati Medical College Hospital here.

Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi, who is currently in New Delhi, has ordered an inquiry to be conducted by the secretary of the state transport department. The state government also announced ex-gratia to the next of kin of those killed and announced free treatment to those who sustained injuries.