14 dead, over 55 hurt in Asom mishaps

Guwahati, Apr 22 (UNI) At least 14 people were killed, and over 55 others injured in a string of road accidents in Asom since last night.

In the first incident this morning, six people of a marriage party were killed when the van in which they were travelling collided head-on with an oil tanker at Sokholating under Pulibor police station in the outskirts of Jorhat town in upper Asom at around 0615 hours.

Six others, who were also in the van, sustained critical injuries and the condition of three were stated to be critical. Three of the seriously injured were shifted to the Assam Medical College and Hospital in Dibrugarh, while the others were admitted at the Jorhat Civil Hospital.

The driver of the Numaligarh Refinery-bound oil tanker, Om Prakash, was arrested.

Police said the over-loaded van was travelling from Rajmai Tea Estate near Dergaon to Jorhat when the accident occurred.

In another incident, seven people were killed and 38 injured when the bus in which they were travelling rammed into a roadside tree.

The accident occurred at Khanamukh area under Rangapara police station of Sonitpur district in central Asom when the driver lost control and hit the tree. The bus was carrying delegates of the Akhil Asom Gorkha Sanmilan.

The third incident occurred at Bongaigaon in lower Asom when a bus coming from Siliguri in West Bengal overturned after hitting a road divider near the town in the wee hours today. All the 13 people in the bus were injured in the accident, and the driver was stated to be in a critical condition.

In another mishap, two people were critically injured when their Santro car rammed into a divider at Zoo Road Tiniali in Guwahati at around 1830 hours this evening. The injured, which included the driver, were rushed to the hospital.

Meanwhile, the assistant manager of Bokahola tea estate in Golaghat district of upper Asom was killed in another mishap last night.

UNI