President, PM condole Assam accident that killed 26, Modi announces Rs 2 lakh ex-gratia

President Droupadi Murmu, Vice President C P Radhakrishnan and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday expressed grief over a devastating road accident near Kaziranga National Park in Assam that claimed at least 26 lives and left 20 others injured.

Modi announced an ex-gratia payment of Rs 2 lakh from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund (PMNRF) to the next of kin of each deceased and Rs 50,000 to every injured person.

The accident occurred when a passenger minibus collided head-on with a container truck at Rangajan near Hathikuli Tea Estate in the Kohora range of Golaghat district on National Highway 715.

Among those killed were women, minors and college students, while several others sustained injuries in the collision.

Expressing condolences, President Murmu described the loss of lives as deeply saddening and conveyed her sympathies to the bereaved families.

She also wished a speedy recovery to those injured in the accident.

The Assam Chief Minister's Office, responding to the President's message, said the state government was engaged in relief operations and would extend all possible assistance to the affected families.

Prime Minister Modi also expressed anguish over the tragedy and conveyed his condolences to those who had lost their loved ones.

In a message shared by the Prime Minister's Office on X, Modi expressed solidarity with the bereaved families and prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured.

The PMO announced that financial assistance of Rs 2 lakh would be provided to the next of kin of each person killed, while those injured would receive Rs 50,000 each from the PMNRF.

Vice President C P Radhakrishnan also condoled the deaths and expressed sympathy for the affected families.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah said he was deeply saddened by the accident near Kaziranga and extended condolences to the families of the victims.

He also prayed for the speedy recovery of those undergoing treatment.

The collision, which occurred on Friday afternoon, left the minibus extensively damaged. The vehicle was travelling from Jorhat towards Guwahati when it collided with the truck.

The tragedy prompted relief and rescue operations by local authorities, while the injured were taken for medical treatment.

The state administration said it would continue providing assistance to the affected families following one of the deadliest road accidents reported in Assam in recent times.