Truck-bus collision kills at least 24 in India’s Assam state
At least 24 people were killed and 11 injured when a container truck collided with a passenger bus in Assam, northeastern India, on Friday. Several children and the bus driver were among those who died. The bus was carrying about 30 people and was travelling to a neighbouring district when the crash occurred on a highway in Golaghat district, roughly 225km east of Assam’s capital, Dispur.
The collision happened near Kaziranga National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site known for its population of one-horned rhinoceroses. Emergency and relief operations were underway at the scene, while the injured were taken for medical treatment. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said he was deeply distressed by the accident and that local authorities were overseeing relief efforts to ensure the wounded received prompt care.
Golaghat district police superintendent Swapnaneel Deka warned that the death toll was likely to rise. The crash adds to India’s persistent road-safety crisis, as the country has one of the world’s highest rates of road fatalities. Poorly maintained roads and vehicles are among the factors officials and experts commonly associate with the frequent deadly accidents.
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