From Our Correspondent
KHLIEHRIAT: Seven persons were killed when a Tata Sumo, in which they were travelling from Lad Rymbai to Kalain in Assam, fell into a deep gorge on Saturday afternoon.
According to police, the crowded Tata Sumo (MLO 0B 3531) driven by one Danny Pohlong of Ratacherra village skidded off the road and fell into the deep gorge at Kuliang Kmai near Umkiang, 65 km from Khliehriat at around 1 pm on Saturday.
The driver along with six others was killed on the spot while 11 people sustained injuries.
According to eye witnesses, it was due to the over loading of passengers that the vehicle skidded off the road resulting in the tragedy.
Though the sitting capacity is 10, as many as 18 passengers were accommodated in the vehicle.
The injured people were shifted to the hospitals of Khliehriat and Silchar.
Besides the driver, three other passengers who were killed in the accident have been identified as -Kamon Malang of Dos Dawa village; Sahaibbudin Chaudhury from Durpur and Mainul Haque Barbuia of Govindapur, Katigora, all in Karimganj district of Assam. The rest are yet to be identified.
Police suspect that overcrowding and rash driving caused the mishap as there is no proper checking of the vehicles on the highways.