Over 20 feared dead after truck hits mini-bus in Assam, rescue ops underway

At least 20 people are feared dead after a truck collided head-on with a passenger Traveller vehicle in Kaziranga, Assam. Most of those travelling in the mini-bus were reportedly students.

The Traveller was travelling from Bokakhat towards Nagaon when the accident occurred. The impact left the vehicle badly mangled, with several passengers feared trapped inside.

Local residents and police personnel have launched a rescue operation. The injured have been rushed to Kohora Model Hospital for treatment.

Rescue operations are still underway, and the casualty figure is yet to be officially confirmed.

"We have got a preliminary report that at least 20 people feared dead in the accident. We are all at the spot, and bodies are being retrieved from the bus, so the number of deaths is likely to rise," Golaghat Senior Superintendent of Police Swapnaneel Deka said.

He said that the exact number of people travelling in the bus is not immediately known.

Assam Panchayat and Rural Development Minister Atul Bora, who is also the local MLA, reached the site immediately and was supervising the relief and rescue operations.

The injured people were taken to the Kohora Model Hospital, and most of the critically injured were referred to the Jorhat Medical College and Hospital.