Assam collision: minibus speed limiter was removed so it could make more trips, police find; two-year-old survivor still awaits family
A day after a head-on collision between a minibus and a container truck left 26 people dead and several injured, some critically, in Assam's Golaghat district, police say their investigation has found that the minibus's speed-limiting device had been removed intentionally by its driver and owner so that they could make more trips for financial gain. All commercial vehicles in Assam are required to install such a device, the district's Senior Superintendent of Police said.
The head-on collision occurred in the Rangajan area around 2:30 pm on Friday. According to the preliminary investigation, the minibus was allegedly speeding, and police said the initial assessment pointed to rash and negligent driving, with the investigation continuing. Of the 26 people who died, two are yet to be identified; officials said at least 12 women and a minor were among the dead, and three students were also among those killed. The minibus driver, who was reportedly speeding, died on the spot.
At least 15 injured people are undergoing treatment at Jorhat Medical College and Hospital, several of them in critical condition, officials said. Post-mortem examinations of the deceased are expected to be carried out, with teams from Guwahati Medical College and Hospital arriving.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma visited the accident site on Saturday and announced ex-gratia payments of Rs 5 lakh from the Chief Minister's Relief Fund and Rs 2 lakh from the State Disaster Management Authority to the next of kin of each victim. This is in addition to the ex-gratia payment of Rs 2 lakh announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday for the next of kin of each of the deceased. Strict measures will be enforced to ensure such tragedies are not repeated, the Chief Minister said.
Two-year-old survivor waits for family
Among the survivors is a boy of about two years, whose condition is stable, but whose parents have still not been identified. Officials of the Bokakhat district administration said that as of 10 am on Saturday, nobody had come forward for the child. Some say the child was travelling with his mother, but the father has not been traced either, the co-district commissioner said, urging anyone with information about the child to come forward.
The child was kept under observation overnight at the Swahid Kamala Miri Sub-Divisional Civil Hospital in Bokakhat, about 34 km from the accident site. A senior medical officer said the baby had a wound on the forehead and has been referred to the Golaghat District Hospital for a CT scan. If the results are normal and the parents are still not found, the child will be handed over to the Child Welfare Committee, which will take care of him. For now, he is accompanied by a nurse and two ward members.
The Golaghat district commissioner said one more person had died, taking the toll to 26 as of 9 am on Saturday, and that all the injured were still being treated, with nobody released yet.