Silchar: At least three people died and about 20 others were injured when a speeding dumper truck crashed head-on into a tempo traveller in the Srigauri area of Assam’s Sribhumi district early on Saturday.
Police said the injured are receiving treatment at Silchar Medical College and Hospital (SMCH).
According to police, the tempo traveller was carrying 23 passengers, members of a kirtaniya (devotional singing) group, who were travelling towards Bazarghat.
The 12-wheeler dumper, allegedly speeding, came from the wrong side and crashed into the minibus around 6 am.
An eyewitness said the impact was so severe that the vehicle was thrown off the road, fell into a roadside ditch, and was completely mangled.
Two passengers, Nirad Das and Tapan Biswas, died on the spot. Another passenger later died while undergoing treatment. The identity of the third victim has not yet been confirmed.
Police said the dumper truck was registered in Tripura, while the tempo traveller was registered in Assam. Both vehicles have been seized, and an investigation has started to find out the exact cause of the accident.
Local residents claimed that the dumper driver tried to escape after the crash but was chased and caught by people from the area.
The accident occurred just hours after another hit-and-run incident in Silchar, heightening public anger over road safety.
On Friday night, a dumper truck allegedly hit a motorcycle near the Clock Tower tri-junction on the Silchar–Imphal National Highway, killing Pradeep Dhar (35) of Shalganga and injuring pillion rider Rajdeep Dhar. Following that incident, residents briefly blocked the highway, disrupting traffic.