At least 23 people were killed when a container truck rammed head-on into a minibus in Assam’s Kaziranga on Friday (November 13). Most of the passengers in the minibus were students.
The death toll may rise further as rescue teams recover bodies from the severely damaged vehicle. The horrific collision has sent shockwaves across Assam, with police, locals and emergency personnel at the accident site trying to rescue survivors and recover those trapped inside the mangled vehicle.
Preliminary information says that the mini-bus was coming from Bokakhat towards Nagaon when it hit a container truck. The impact was so severe that the passenger vehicle of the mini-bus got badly mangled. Several people were trapped inside the wreckage, and the rescue operation became difficult. Residents and police personnel immediately joined hands to rescue people trapped in the wreckage. Rescue teams removed trapped passengers and shifted the injured to nearby hospitals for immediate medical care.
The injured were first taken to Kohora Model Hospital; several passengers who had critical injuries were later referred to Jorhat Medical College and Hospital for advanced treatment. Rescue work was still in progress when Golaghat SSP Swapnaneel Deka said at least 23 people died. He said the figure was provisional and more bodies could be found from the damaged minibus.
“We have got a preliminary report that 23 people died in the accident. We are all here; bodies are being retrieved from the bus, so the number of deaths will increase,” Deka said. He added that authorities did not immediately know how many passengers were travelling in the mini-bus at the time of the accident. Police personnel and rescue teams were still trying to determine the full scale of the tragedy and how many people were involved.
Police Suspect Overspeeding in Kaziranga Accident
Overspeeding may have been a major cause of the accident, SSP Swapnaneel Deka said. The mini-bus was allegedly moving at very high speed and had violated restrictions in the area near Kaziranga National Park, he added. Police suspect that the driver lost control of the vehicle before it rammed head-on into the container truck. The actual circumstances leading to the crash will be known only after a thorough investigation.
“The bus was running very fast; it violated restrictions near the park. We think that the minibus driver lost control and hit the container truck,” Deka said. Police are looking into how the collision happened (speed of the vehicle, whether there were any restrictions in the area), to find out what sequence of events led to the fatal crash.
🔷কাজিৰঙাত সংঘটিত হৈছে ভয়াৱহ পথ দুৰ্ঘটনা। ট্ৰেভেলাৰ আৰু ট্ৰাকৰ মাজত মুখামুখি সংঘৰ্ষ। দুৰ্ঘটনাত ২৩গৰাকী যাত্ৰী নিহতৰ আশংকা। ট্ৰেভেলাৰখনত কেইবাগৰাকীও ছাত্ৰ-ছাত্ৰী আছিল। #accident #death #kaziranga https://t.co/LXelsTZCTL
— AIR News Guwahati (@airnews_ghy) November 13, 2026
Traffic challans of the mini-bus have also come to light after the accident. Traveller was the name of the vehicle, which had 12 traffic challans (₹38,500 already paid), and another ₹4,000 challan was said to be outstanding. The penalty is for overspeeding by a commercial vehicle in Assam. These details have raised further questions on traffic compliance and road safety, but the challan history does not prove the cause of today's accident either.
Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma Expresses Grief
Assam Panchayat and Rural Development Minister Atul Bora (local MLA) was at the site of accident and supervising rescue and relief work. He was there as authorities were trying to recover victims, help survivors and coordinate emergency medical assistance. State government is keeping a watch on rescue operation.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said he was very sad over the loss of lives and that “the tragedy had shaken Assam”. In a post on X he condoled with the families of those who died and said people of state stood with them in this hour of grief. He also said government’s immediate priority was to ensure that all injured passengers got best medical treatment without delay.
I am deeply distressed by the tragic accident in Kaziranga earlier today. The scale of this loss has shaken all of us, and my heart goes out to every family that has lost a loved one. No words can ease their pain, but I want them to know that they are not alone. All of Assam stands with them in this hour of grief. Our foremost priority now is to make sure the injured receive the best possible medical care without delay. Hon'ble Minister Shri @ATULBORA2 is at the site and personally overseeing the relief arrangements. I pray for the swift recovery of the injured and for strength for the bereaved families.
— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) November 13, 2026
The Chief Minister said that Minister Atul Bora was at the spot and personally supervising relief arrangements. The government is providing emergency assistance and medical treatment to the injured as rescue teams were still engaged in their work, he added.
The Kaziranga accident has once again reminded people of the dangers of overspeeding and traffic restrictions (especially in sensitive areas near national parks). Several passengers were reportedly students, so families and residents are worried about it. Rescue work is going on, and authorities are investigating the cause of the collision. Only after rescue work and the investigation are completed will we know how many casualties there are and what exactly caused the accident.
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