At least 16 people are feared to have been killed and several others injured after a truck collided with a minibus in Assam's Kaziranga on Thursday. The death count is likely to rise, with several injured passengers reported to be in critical condition.
The accident took place at Rongajan, near Kaziranga, when a truck rammed a minibus travelling from Bokakhat to Nagaon.
The impact of the collision left the minibus severely damaged, trapping several passengers inside the mangled vehicle. Police personnel and local residents rushed to the accident site and launched rescue operations to pull out those trapped in the wreckage.
"We have got a preliminary report that at least seven people were killed 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," Golaghat Senior Superintendent of Police Swapnaneel Deka told news agency PTI.
The injured were taken to Kohora Model Hospital for medical treatment. Several of them are believed to be critically injured.
"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 minibus lost control, and the vehicle collided with the container truck," he added.
Rescue operations are continuing at the site. The Assam government has not issued an official statement on the accident so far.
Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world
