23 killed in Indian bus accident

by Sanjay Jha | October 14, 2008 at 01:36 am

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In the northeastern Indian state of Assam an overcrowded speeding bus collided with a stationary truck and killed 23 people and injured 44 others. The bus was carrying laborers to work before dawn in the state's Dhubri district some 185 miles (300 kilometers) west of the state capital, Gauhati.

At least 23 people were killed and 40 others injured early on Tuesday when an overcrowded bus hit a stationary truck in Assam's Dhubri district, police said. The accident took place around 1 am on National Highway 31 near village Beltoli, about 320 km west of Assam's main city of Guwahati.

"The bus, carrying about 67 people, hit a stationary potato-laden truck parked on the side of the highway with great speed," Dhubri police chief Parthasarathi Mahanta said.

The bus was on way from Golokganj in Dhubri district and was bound for Singimari in Kamrup district with all the victims being transported by a contractor to work in some brick kilns in the area.

"The bus had a capacity of 35 passengers, but was carrying 67 people. The driver lost control as it was moving at a very high speed and hit the truck in the rear," Mahanta said.

Six children and five women were among those killed in the accident.

"The condition of at least 10 of the 40 injured was stated to be critical," Mahanta said.