Assam Road Tragedy: 26 Lives Lost in Minibus-Truck Collision Near Kaziranga

A devastating head-on collision on National Highway-715 near Kaziranga National Park in Assam on Friday, November 13, 2026, tragically claimed the lives of 26 people and left 20 others injured. The catastrophic incident in Golaghat district involved a passenger minibus and a container truck. Many of the deceased were college students returning from their classes.

Following the grim news, Prime Minister Narendra Modi promptly announced an ex-gratia payment of Rs 2 lakh from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund (PMNRF) for the families of each victim, with Rs 50,000 allocated to each injured individual. President Droupadi Murmu, Vice President C P Radhakrishnan, and Union Home Minister Amit Shah also extended their condolences over the tragic road accident.

Assam's Panchayat and Rural Development Minister Atul Bora, who is also the local MLA, arrived at the accident site in Rangajan, near Hathikuli Tea Estate in the Kohora range, to oversee rescue and relief operations. Dr. Dipam Kumar Barman, a senior physician at Kohora Model Hospital, confirmed the rising death toll to 26 as ambulances transported the injured to various medical facilities. An Executive Magistrate from Golaghat district earlier reported a rapidly increasing casualty count, noting that 20 critically injured individuals had been referred to Jorhat for advanced treatment.

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, speaking at an event in Biswanath, acknowledged that at least 24 people had died, with college students among them. He mentioned that Minister Ranoj Pegu would visit Kaziranga soon, followed by his own visit the next day. Police officials, including Golaghat Senior Superintendent of Police Swapnaneel Deka, reached the scene to assist rescue efforts. They estimated around 45 passengers were in the minibus, which was travelling from Golaghat to Nagaon when it collided with the truck heading towards Upper Assam. Of the deceased, authorities identified 14 individuals: Jyoti Majhi, Darpana Majhi, Anurag Goala (a 12-year-old boy), Abdul Mujid (the minibus driver), Subhash (the minibus handyman), Rashid Ali, Hafiza Khatun, Farhana Yasmin, K R Lobho, Amjad Ali, Bulbul Ali, Baby Karmakar, Damini Ghatowar, and Dipanjali Rongphar. Critically injured patients are receiving care at Bokakhat Civil Hospital and Jorhat Medical College and Hospital.

Image: siasat.com

📰 Source: Siasat Gulf