At least 24 people were killed in a devastating collision between a passenger bus and a container truck on a highway in the northeastern Indian state of Assam. The crash, which occurred near the UNESCO World Heritage site of Kaziranga National Park, about 225 kilometers (140 miles) east of the state capital, Dispur, is being described as one of the worst transport disasters in the region’s recent history.
Local officials confirmed that children and the bus driver were among the victims, with at least 11 others sustaining injuries in the crash. State minister Atul Bora stated that police are actively investigating the cause of the collision, with preliminary witness accounts suggesting the bus was traveling at an excessive speed before the impact.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma expressed his profound grief over the tragedy on social media, writing that he was “deeply distressed by the tragic accident.” The incident underscores the ongoing issue of road safety in India, which suffers from one of the highest rates of road fatalities in the world, driven by factors such as reckless driving, poorly maintained infrastructure, and aging vehicles.