‘Vehicle overloaded, running at 100 km/h, crossed into wrong lane’: Survivors of deadly bus-truck collision in Assam

The passengers who survived the deadly bus-truck collision in Assam's Golaghat on Friday claimed that the bus was overcrowded and travelling at a very high speed when the driver lost control and swerved into the wrong lane. The truck driver also alleged that the bus entered his lane, leading to the crash.A passenger said that the vehicle was overloaded and travelling at nearly 100 kmph. (HT photo)“The bus had too many passengers. Around 50 per cent of them were standing, and even the cabin space, which was supposed to be free, was filled with passengers,” said 30-year-old Moksudul Islam, one of the survivors of Friday's deadly road accident near Kaziranga, Assam, alleging that the vehicle was carrying nearly twice its seating capacity when it collided with a goods-carrying truck.At least 25 people were killed and several were critically injured after a passenger vehicle carrying around 35 people, including school students, collided head-on with a truck in Assam’s Golaghat district on Friday afternoon, police said earlier.Also read | At least 26 killed, several injured in road accident in Assam’s Golaghat: PoliceThe accident took place at around 2.30 pm, when the passenger vehicle, travelling from Bokakhat towards Nagaon, collided with the goods-carrying vehicle, officers said.Islam, a resident of Golaghat who works for a construction company, was travelling in the bus with four of his co-workers. He said the vehicle, which had a capacity of hardly 30 passengers, was carrying at least 60 persons on Friday.'Lucky to survive'“I was sitting at the back, which is why I was lucky to survive. But the bus had too many passengers. Around 50% of them were standing, and even the cabin space, which was supposed to be free, was filled with passengers,” he said.Also read | ‘Bus was overspeeding, violated restrictions’: Official on Assam accident that killed 26Islam sustained a head injury in the collision but was discharged by doctors after receiving initial treatment.Another passenger also alleged that the vehicle was overloaded and travelling at nearly 100 kmph. Recalling the moments before the collision, he said the bus suddenly lost control, crossed into the wrong lane and hit the oncoming truck.“It was at high speed when it suddenly lost control, crossed into the wrong lane and hit the oncoming truck. I was sitting beside the window and saw it happen. I was so scared that I thought I would die,” he said.The driver of the goods-carrying truck, who was also injured in the crash, offered a similar account of the collision, claiming that the bus suddenly entered his lane and rammed into the truck while he was driving on his proper side of the road.Speaking to the media, the driver, whose identity has not yet been confirmed, said he was travelling from Tezpur when the bus approached from the opposite direction.“I was coming this way from Tezpur and I was driving on the proper side. This bus suddenly came from the opposite direction. On such a wide road, it came directly into our lane and slammed straight into us, a direct head-on collision,” he said.Describing the speed of the passenger vehicle, he added, “Yes, the bus hit us. It came at such a high speed, it's beyond words.” The driver said he sustained injuries to his hand and other parts of his body.Dashcam footage emergesThe truck's dashcam footage, which has emerged following the accident, has captured the final moments before the collision.The footage, authorised by the driver, could provide important clues about how the two vehicles approached each other immediately before the impact.According to the doctors of the Jorhat Medical College and Hospital (JMCH), where the critical patients were shifted, said that around 12 injured persons are undergoing treatment.The survivors' accounts have raised questions about the number of passengers travelling in the vehicle and whether overloading and speeding contributed to the crash.Police said that they are investigating how many passengers were there in the bus and how many survivors are there.Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi blamed alleged corruption, poor construction quality and a nexus between contractors and politicians for the tragedy, claiming it could have been avoided if highways were properly built and maintained.Reacting to the accident, Gogoi alleged that national highways across Assam had become a “den of corruption” and questioned the government's collection of tolls despite the alleged poor condition of roads.Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP) president Lurinjyoti Gogoi urged the government to ensure advanced medical treatment for those critically injured and take responsibility for the families of those killed.“Since Jorhat Medical College is there, the necessary medical care required for them must be provided. And for those who have died, the government will have to take responsibility for all their families,” he said.He also called for stricter implementation of road safety measures and proper maintenance of national highways, saying that people's lives and futures depended on the condition of the roads.Meanwhile, the All Assam Students' Union (AASU) and Asom Sena have offered to arrange blood donations for the injured.AASU president Utpal Sarma said members of the organisation are ready to donate blood whenever required.