SIVASAGAR, Nov 11: Memories of the November 11, 1994 bus tragedy at Rajabari in Dimow remained fresh for the families of the victims 32 years later.
The Amarjyoti passenger bus, travelling from Sivasagar to Dibrugarh, apparently lost control and plunged into a roadside pond about 30 feet deep on National Highway 37 at around 7.30 am.
More than 60 passengers, most of them government employees, were on the bus. More than 60 people died after being trapped underwater, while only four people, including the driver, survived, according to available information.
ONGC employee Chikan Das reached the site about two hours after the accident and joined the rescue operation. Das, now over 82, entered the water and attached a crane hook to the submerged bus.
Bodies were placed along the roadside after the recovery operation, and several families lost relatives in the disaster.
The Amarjyoti bus reportedly resumed operations after the accident. Das's family alleged that he had not received due recognition for his role in the rescue effort. His wife, Anju Das, also expressed resentment against the then Sivasagar district administration.
