Guwahati: Post-mortem examinations of those killed in the road accident near Kaziranga National Park in Assam’s Golaghat district are underway, with Cabinet Minister Atul Bora visiting the Golaghat District Civil Hospital morgue to review the proceedings.
The bodies of victims whose examinations have been completed have been handed over to their families for the last rites.
Minister Ranoj Pegu, who was deputed by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma to visit the accident site and hospitals where the injured are undergoing treatment, said the post-mortem examinations of all 26 people killed in the collision between the minibus and the container truck would be conducted on Saturday.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma is scheduled to visit the families of the deceased and meet the injured undergoing treatment at hospitals in Golaghat district on Saturday to take stock of the situation.
The accident took place on Friday at Rangajan, near Hathikuli Tea Estate in the Kohora range, along National Highway 715. The collision claimed 26 lives, while several injured passengers continue to receive treatment at hospitals, including Jorhat Medical College and Hospital (JMCH), where some remain in critical condition.
The minibus was travelling from Bokakhat to Nagaon with around 40 passengers, while the truck was on its way from Tezpur to Dibrugarh. Preliminary information suggests that the minibus crossed into the wrong lane before colliding head-on with the truck.
The vehicle was reportedly designed to carry 26 passengers but had more than 40 people on board. It had also allegedly received several fines for overspeeding in the past. A camera fitted inside the truck is said to have recorded the collision.
Authorities have identified several of those killed in the crash. The deceased include Jyoti Majhi and Darpana Majhi, both from Amguri in Kohora; Purnima Goala and her 12-year-old son, Anurag Goala; 20-year-old Lakhimi Majhi and Sujata Tanti, both from Kaziranga; Jayanti Rabidas from Bihora Tea Estate in Rangajan; Rashid Ali from Kuthori; and Golapi Begum from Rangajan.
The other identified victims are 38-year-old Mohammad Ali from Dhupguri village in Dhing; Sushil Bhumij from Bokakhat; Faizul Islam; Deepak Gurung from Naharoni in Rangapara, Sonitpur; Damini Ghatowal; Baby Karmakar; Dipanjali Rongpharpi, a student of CNB College in Bokakhat; 21-year-old Farhana Yasmin; Rashid Ali from Harmati in Bagori; and Ranjita Katowar from Nagaon. Abdul Mujid, who was driving the minibus, and Subhash Das, its helper, were also among those killed.
Authorities are trying to identify the remaining victims and reach their families.
Ranjita Katowar, a resident of Ultajan in Golaghat, was travelling to Nagaon to visit her parents when the accident occurred.
Mohammad Ali, who worked in Golaghat, was returning to his home in Dhupguri village in Dhing when he died in the collision. His death has left his native village in mourning.
Dipanjali Rongpharpi, a student of CNB College in Bokakhat, was also killed in the crash. Her mortal remains were taken to the college, where people paid their last respects.
A one-and-a-half-year-old child injured in the accident is receiving treatment at Bokakhat Sub-Divisional Civil Hospital. The child’s parents have not yet been traced.
The truck driver was also injured and remains under treatment. His identity has not been officially confirmed.
A team of five specialist doctors has reached JMCH to assist with the treatment of the injured passengers. Doctors are closely monitoring their condition.