GUWAHATI, Nov 14: Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma ordered a special post-mortem examination of the traveller driver to determine the cause of the fatal road accident at Rangajan in Kaziranga.
Twenty-six people died in the accident. The injured were undergoing treatment at Jorhat Medical College Hospital.
After visiting the accident site on Saturday, Sarma said video footage showed the traveller suddenly changing direction and moving in front of a container truck. No other vehicle was seen in front of the traveller at the time, he said.
Investigators were examining whether the driver had consumed alcohol or suffered a stroke, Sarma said. The post-mortem examination would help establish whether he had faced a sudden medical emergency.
The driver regularly travelled on the route and was expected to know the traffic rules and speed limit in the Kaziranga area, he said. The speed limit on the stretch was 40 kmph.
Sarma also expressed concern over allegations that vehicle owners pressured drivers to speed and carry more passengers to increase earnings. Such pressure could lead to violations of traffic rules, he said.
Noting the recent rise in road accidents in the state, Sarma said traffic rules needed stricter enforcement and the government must strengthen traffic regulation measures to prevent accidents.
Police and medical experts continued their investigation into the cause of the accident.
