Road accidents claim 14 in Asom since last night

Guwahati, Apr 22 (UNI) At least 14 people were killed, and over 40 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 traveling, 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.

Three of them stated to be in a critical condition were shifted to the Asom 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, has been arrested.

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

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

The accident took place at Khanamukh area under Sootea police station of Sonitpur district in central Asom when the driver lost control and hit the tree at around 1130 hours.

The bus was carrying delegates of the Akhil Asom Gorkha Sanmilan.

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

UNI