Guwahati, Aug 31: The toll in a head-on collision between a truck and a minibus in Assam’s Kamrup Metropolitan district rose to seven as three more people succumbed to their injuries, police said on Monday.
The accident took place on National Highway 27 at Tetelia near Sonapur on Sunday evening, killing four people, including a woman, on the spot.
“Three more persons succumbed to their injuries. Another seven people are undergoing treatment at Gauhati Medical College and Hospital,” an officer of Khetri police station said.
He said 14 people, including the driver and handyman, were in the bus and all of them bore the brunt of the accident. None in the truck suffered any injuries.
According to Guwahati Police Additional Deputy Commissioner (Traffic) Safiqul Hussain, the minibus was travelling towards Guwahati and the truck was moving in the opposite direction.
“Suddenly, the driver of the bus lost control over the vehicle, jumped the divider and hit the truck on the other lane. The bus driver allegedly lost control after the vehicle fell into a large pothole in the middle of the road. We are examining the claim,” he added.
Locals blocked the highway at night, protesting poor maintenance of the highway.
“Many accidents have occurred in this stretch due to pathetic road conditions. A few days ago, a sand-laden truck overturned after falling into a huge pothole in the middle of the road. We have been demanding repair of the road, but NHAI has done nothing,” a protesting local said.
Just a kilometre from the accident site, NHAI (National Highways Authority of India) has a toll booth at Sonapur. The protesters have threatened to shut the toll plaza till the road was repaired.
The accident led to a massive traffic jam with hundreds of vehicles stranded on the road for several hours. Senior officials rushed to the spot to manage the situation. (PTI)
