Doomdooma: The bodies of four people killed in a fatal multi-vehicle collision on Doomdooma Bypass Road in Assam’s Tinsukia district were brought to the protest site on Sunday evening, intensifying public anger and grief. The hours-long blockade was subsequently lifted after the police and civil administration assured protesters of compensation for the victims’ families and action on their demands.
The blockade had brought traffic to a standstill, leaving long queues of vehicles stranded on both sides of the bypass. The protest was launched following Saturday evening’s accident, in which a vehicle carrying fresh tea leaves reportedly collided with other vehicles, triggering a fire that gutted vehicles at the scene.
Read more: Residents block Doomdooma bypass after four die in fatal collision
The road blockade was withdrawn after discussions between protesters and the police and civil administration. The authorities assured them that compensation for the bereaved families would be addressed and that their other demands would be forwarded to the appropriate authorities for necessary action.
A memorandum outlining the demands was also submitted to the Doomdooma co-district administration.
“We have submitted a memorandum to the Doomdooma co-district officials, demanding compensation for the families of those killed in the accident. Several other road-safety issues also need to be addressed urgently,” said Irot Tanti, president of the All Assam Tea Tribes Students’ Association (ATTSA), Doomdooma regional committee.
Co-district Superintendent of Police Diganta Dutta and Doomdooma police station officer-in-charge Manujal Gogoi were present at the site, along with police personnel, including women officers, during discussions with the protesters.
The arrival of the victims’ bodies heightened the emotional atmosphere, with residents reiterating their demand for concrete measures to prevent further accidents on the bypass.
The deceased were identified as Subrata Bhakto, Pintu Tanti, Ganesh Praja and Rajesh Kishan. Kishan, a resident of Pithaguri village in Kakojan under Phillobari, was reportedly working as a helper on the vehicle transporting fresh tea leaves.
The protesters called for adequate compensation for the victims’ families, the installation of speed breakers and streetlights, and the establishment of a permanent police outpost at Samdung to regulate traffic and curb dangerous driving. They also demanded measures to check the sale of illicit liquor along the bypass.
Earlier, Tanti had described the road as a “death valley”, arguing that improving safety required concrete administrative action beyond the installation of speed breakers.
Pratim Neog, president of the All Assam Students’ Union’s Tinsukia unit, also demanded an immediate police outpost at Samdung, stressing the need for effective traffic regulation and enforcement to prevent further fatalities.
Meanwhile, three people injured in the collision remain under medical treatment.
With the blockade lifted following the authorities’ assurances, residents are awaiting action on the compensation demand and other road-safety measures sought to prevent further loss of life on the Samdung stretch.