GUWAHATI, Nov 14: Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced financial assistance of Rs 9 lakh each for the families of 26 people killed in a road accident at Rongajan in Kaziranga.
After visiting the accident site, Sarma said Rs 5 lakh would be provided from the Chief Minister's Relief Fund, Rs 2 lakh from the state government's Revenue and Disaster Management Department, and Rs 2 lakh from the Prime Minister's Relief Fund.
He said specialist doctors had been brought from Guwahati and other hospitals to expedite the post-mortem examinations. Post-mortems of 10 bodies had been completed, and the government aimed to complete the process for all the bodies by 2 pm. The bodies would then be taken to the families in government vehicles.
Several injured persons remained critical, Sarma said. Ten were stable, six were in the ICU and one was on ventilator support. The injured were receiving treatment at Dibrugarh and Jorhat medical colleges, while a team of specialists from Gauhati Medical College had reached Jorhat for advanced treatment.
One of the deceased had not yet been identified and was suspected to be a resident of Bihar. The identities of the remaining victims had been established, he said.
Sarma said an investigation was under way into the accident. Videos showed that the Traveller vehicle was moving at over 100 kmph, against the 40 kmph speed limit in the Kaziranga area, he said. The probe would examine whether the driver lost control due to a heart condition, stroke or a sudden drop in blood sugar.
He said the vehicle was believed to have carried about 41 passengers, more than its authorised seating capacity. The investigation would also examine possible irregularities, including whether its speed-control system had been tampered with or its wires disconnected.
Sarma stressed the need for stricter enforcement of traffic laws against overspeeding, overloading and drunk driving. He said the government would ensure an investigation into the accident, treatment for the injured and assistance to the victims' families.
