From Our Correspondent
GUWAHATI: At least nine persons were killed while 12 others were injured in a road accident near Thawra bridge on the national highway at Demow in Sivasagar district of eastern Assam on Monday.
Two of the victims died on the spot.
An official statement issued from the Sivasagar district administration stated that the accident occured when a passenger carrying bus (AS-05-C-5999) travelling towards Dibrugarh collided head on with a Force Traveler (AS-23-BC-6878) coming from Tinsukia to Jorhat.
The Traveler suffered irreparable damage in the collision and crashed into a roadside pond.
Sources stated that both the vehicles were travelling at high speeds despite incessant rain.
Though locals immediately rushed the injured to nearby Demow Model Hospital, seven of them succumbed to their injuries on the way.
Ten of the injured have been referred to Assam Medical College Hospital (AMCH) in Dibrugarh.
However, the driver of the bus had managed to flee the scene after the accident.
Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal expressed his grief over the tragedy and directed the district administrations of Sivasagar and Dibrugarh to provide adequate and emergency medical treatment to the injured . He also directed the State Transport Commissioner, Virendra Mittal to institute and inquiry into the accident.