Over 20 feared dead after truck hits mini-bus in Assam's Kaziranga, rescue ops on

At least 20 people are feared dead after a container truck collided head-on with a mini-bus in Assam's Kaziranga. Most of those travelling in the mini-bus were reportedly students.The mini-bus was travelling from Bokakhat towards Nagaon when the accident occurred. The impact left the vehicle badly mangled, with several passengers feared trapped inside.Local residents and police personnel launched a rescue operation, while the injured were rushed to Kohora Model Hospital for treatment. Most of those critically injured were later referred to the Jorhat Medical College and Hospital.The rescue operation is still underway, and the casualty figure is yet to be officially confirmed. Golaghat Senior Superintendent of Police Swapnaneel Deka said preliminary reports suggested that at least 20 people were feared dead in the accident. He added that the toll could rise as rescue teams were still retrieving bodies from the mangled mini-bus. "We have got a preliminary report that at least 20 people feared dead in the accident. We are all at the spot, and bodies are being retrieved from the bus, so the number of deaths is likely to rise," Deka said.He said the exact number of people travelling in the mini-bus was not immediately known. Assam Panchayat and Rural Development Minister Atul Bora, who is also the local MLA, reached the accident site and was supervising the relief and rescue operations.Deka said the mini-bus was allegedly travelling at a high speed and violating restrictions imposed near the park. He said the driver may have lost control of the vehicle, causing it to collide with the container truck."The bus was running at very high speed, violating restrictions imposed near the park. We think that the accident took place when the driver of the mini bus lost control, and the vehicle collided with the container truck," he added.- Ends