At least 23 people were killed and around 20 others injured on Friday afternoon when a minibus carrying more than 35 passengers collided head-on with a container truck near Kaziranga National Park in Assam. Many of those killed were students returning from their classes, making it one of the deadliest road accidents the state has seen in recent years.
The crash took place at around 2.30 pm at Rangajan, near the Hathikuli Tea Estate in the Kohora range, on National Highway 715 in Golaghat district. The minibus, a Traveller-model vehicle travelling from Bokakhat towards Nagaon, hit the container truck coming from the opposite direction. The impact was so severe that rescue teams had to work for hours to pull trapped passengers out of the wreckage.
What happened on NH-715
According to police, the minibus was carrying more than 35 passengers, including students from Kaziranga High School and college students returning home after classes. The container truck was headed towards Upper Assam when the two vehicles met head-on on the highway stretch that runs along the edge of the national park.
Senior police officers at the spot said the minibus appeared to have been travelling well above the permitted speed. The Kaziranga stretch has strict speed limits because it passes through an ecologically sensitive wildlife corridor, home to the one-horned rhinoceros, and vehicles are required to slow down along it.
“The bus was running at very high speed, violating restrictions imposed near the park. We think the accident took place when the driver of the minibus lost control, and the vehicle collided with the truck,” Golaghat Senior Superintendent of Police Swapnaneel Deka said.
The exact number of people on board was not immediately known, and officials warned that the death toll could rise further as rescue work continued into the evening.
Rescue and hospitals
Rescue teams, local residents and police rushed to the spot within minutes of the crash. The injured were taken to the Kohora Model Hospital and other hospitals in Bokakhat, Golaghat and Jorhat. At least seven of the injured were in critical condition, doctors said.
By 5.30 pm, district officials confirmed that 23 deaths had been recorded. “The death toll is rising very fast. As per the latest information, doctors have confirmed that 23 people have died. The identities of the dead are being ascertained now,” an executive magistrate of Golaghat district said.
Local MLA and cabinet minister Atul Bora, who represents the area, reached the accident site and took charge of coordinating relief and hospital arrangements.
Chief Minister expresses grief, enquiry ordered
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said he was deeply distressed by the tragedy and had sent a senior minister to the site to oversee relief work. In a post on social media, he expressed grief over the loss of lives and said the government stood with the bereaved families.
The Golaghat district administration has ordered a thorough enquiry into the crash. Officials said the probe would establish the cause of the accident and determine whether either vehicle had violated traffic rules, including limits on passenger capacity and speed on the Kaziranga stretch.
A highway with a troubled record
National Highway 715 runs along the southern edge of Kaziranga National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site famous for its one-horned rhinoceroses. The stretch is known for heavy traffic, and speed restrictions are enforced along it to protect both commuters and wildlife crossing the corridor.
Friday’s crash is a grim reminder of how quickly overspeeding can turn deadly on a busy highway. With more than 35 people packed into a single minibus, the scale of the loss has shaken the state, and questions are already being asked about enforcement of speed limits and passenger capacity rules on this route.
Police said further details, including the identities of those killed, would be released once families had been informed.
FAQs
How many people died in the Kaziranga accident?
At least 23 people were killed in the head-on collision between a minibus and a container truck near Kaziranga National Park in Assam on Friday, 13 November 2026. Officials said the toll could rise further.
Where exactly did the crash happen?
The accident took place at Rangajan, near the Hathikuli Tea Estate in the Kohora range, on National Highway 715 in Golaghat district, close to Kaziranga National Park.
Who were the passengers in the minibus?
The minibus was carrying more than 35 passengers, including school and college students returning from their classes. It was travelling from Bokakhat towards Nagaon.
What caused the accident?
Police said preliminary reports point to overspeeding. The minibus was allegedly travelling well above the speed limit enforced on the Kaziranga stretch, and the driver appears to have lost control. A detailed enquiry has been ordered.
What has the Assam government said?
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma expressed grief over the tragedy and sent minister Atul Bora to the site to oversee relief work. The district administration has ordered an enquiry into the cause of the crash.
This is a developing story. The death toll and other details may change as officials release more information.
