Assam CM announces Rs 9 lakh compensation for kin of 26 Kaziranga crash victims

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday announced an ex gratia of Rs 9 lakh for the next of kin of each of the 26 people killed in a devastating minibus-truck collision near Kaziranga National Park on Friday.

The announcement came after Sarma visited the accident site on National Highway 715 at Rangajan in Kaziranga, where the two vehicles had collided head-on, claiming 26 lives. Several victims were college students returning from their classes.

"An ex gratia of Rs 5 lakh will be given to the family of each deceased from the Chief Minister's Relief Fund, Rs 2 lakh from the State Disaster Management Authority and Rs 2 lakh from the Prime Minister," Sarma told reporters.

The total compensation of Rs 9 lakh per deceased includes the Rs 2 lakh assistance announced earlier by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Sarma said ministers would personally visit the homes of the deceased to hand over the compensation after the bodies were returned to their families following post-mortem examinations.

"No amount of money can compensate such a loss, especially for families who have lost more than one member," he said.

Describing the accident as "heartbreaking", the Chief Minister expressed condolences to the bereaved families and assured them of the state government's support.

"My thoughts and prayers are with every family who lost a loved one, and the Assam government stands with you (bereaved families) at this painful time," Sarma said.

He added that he would personally visit the homes of all bereaved families over the next two to three days.

𝗠𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗶𝗻𝗷𝘂𝗿𝗲𝗱

The Chief Minister said arrangements had been made to complete the post-mortem examinations on Saturday so that the bodies could be handed over to their families without unnecessary delays.

He said the government was ensuring specialised medical treatment for those injured in the collision at Jorhat Medical College and Hospital and other healthcare facilities.

"Additional doctors from Guwahati and other hospitals have been sent so that post-mortem examinations are completed quickly, and the injured get the best possible care," he said.

Sarma said the state administration was closely monitoring the condition of the injured and coordinating medical assistance.

𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰 𝗿𝘂𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝘁𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗱

The Chief Minister said a detailed investigation into the accident was underway and that authorities would examine every possible factor contributing to the collision.

"We will look at every possible cause behind this tragedy," he said.

In a significant admission, Sarma acknowledged that certain traffic restrictions had previously been relaxed following political pressure, a decision he now regretted.

"I admit that some traffic restrictions were relaxed at the Nalbari Cabinet meeting because of political pressure. Even then, I felt we should not have allowed such relaxations," he said.

Sarma asserted that stricter traffic regulations would be enforced, stressing that protecting human lives must take precedence over other considerations.

He directed the police and district administration to intensify road safety awareness campaigns and strengthen enforcement measures to prevent similar accidents.

The Chief Minister said the government would take necessary steps based on the findings of the investigation while ensuring that affected families received assistance and support.