Students among 24 dead in bus-truck collision in Assam’s Kaziranga

College students were among 24 people killed when a minibus collided head-on with a container truck at Rangajan near Kaziranga National Park in eastern Assam’s Golaghat district on Friday (November 13, 2026).

Officials said 39 people, including the driver, were on board when the accident occurred at around 1 p.m. on National Highway-715. The spot is about 230 km east of Guwahati.

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said 24 people lost their lives in the accident and that several critically injured were undergoing treatment at the Jorhat Medical College and Hospital in the adjoining Jorhat district and the Civil Hospital in Golaghat, the district headquarters.

Of the 15 injured, some were battling for their lives.

“Our foremost priority now is to make sure the injured receive the best possible medical care without delay. (Panchayat and Rural Development) Minister Atul Bora, who was at the site, is overseeing the relief arrangements. I pray for the swift recovery of the injured and for strength for the bereaved families,” the Chief Minister said, adding that he would visit the place on Saturday.

“Some of the passengers died on the spot. They included some college students,” Mr. Bora, also the local MLA, said.

Officials said the exact number of students who died was being ascertained.

Officials suspected that overspeeding by the minibus, travelling from Golaghat to central Assam’s Nagaon, caused the accident. A dashcam clip from the container truck heightened the suspicion.

Speed limits are enforced near animal corridors along the 60-km stretch of the National Highway abutting Kaziranga National Park.

A man who identified himself as the truck driver said he was on his way from Tezpur to Dibrugarh. “The Traveller (minibus) directly hit our vehicle,” he said.

The truck driver and his companion escaped with minor injuries.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief at the loss of life. “An ex-gratia of ₹2 lakh from PMNRF would be given to the next of kin of each of those who lost their lives. The injured would be given ₹50,000,” he said.