New Delhi, Jan 3 (EFE).- At least 12 people were killed and 30 sustained injuries on Wednesday morning after a bus carrying 45 passengers collided with a truck in India’s northeast.
The accident occurred around 5 a.m. local time in Golagaht district of Assam, when the bus collided head-on with a goods vehicle, district police chief Rajen Singh said in a statement.
“The bus collided with a truck coming in the opposite direction. Ten bodies were recovered from the accident site…two people succumbed to their injuries in a hospital,” Singh said.
He said 25 of the 30 injured were receiving treatment at a hospital.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma expressed “his deep anguish at the horrific bus accident.”
“The local administration is providing all necessary support to the injured in this difficult hour,” Sarma said on X.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced an ex-gratia of 200,000 ($2,400) Indian rupees to the next of kin of each deceased and 50,000 rupees to the injured.
Traffic accidents are frequent and remain a significant concern in India, marked by poor road conditions and lax adherence to safety regulations.
On Dec. 28, at least 13 people died and 14 were injured when a bus caught fire in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh.
In November, at least 36 people died in Indian-administered Kashmir after the bus they were traveling in plunged into a ravine.
In 2021, over 153,000 people lost their lives in approximately 412,000 accidents across India, according to government data. EFE
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