NALBARI, Oct 20 - At least five persons, including four women and a man, were killed and 21 others injured in a tragic road accident that took place at Adabari in Nalbari district this afternoon. The mishap occurred on the Hajo-Doulashal-Barpeta road.
[A PTI report, however, put the death toll at seven.]
The deceased have been identified as Trailokyo Haloi (72) from Piplibari, Nijara Das (42) from Dakshin Kulhati, Silbanu Begum (55) from near Mukalmua, Pompi Begum (15) from Rampur and Anima Das (60) from Kulhati village.
The bodies of Trailokyo Haloi, Pampi Begum and Anima Das have been kept at the Adabari Mahatma Gandhi Model Hospital while the bodies of Silbanu and Nijara sent to a hospital at Mukalmua. The injured persons have been admitted at the Mukalmua PHC and the Nalbari Swahid Mukunda Kakati Civil Hospital.
The speeding ASTC bus (AS20-1422) coming from Guwahati towards Barpeta district lost its control and skidded off the road and fell into a roadside pond. The front side of the bus went under water, killing five people on the spot.
The local people immediately rushed to the spot and rescued the rest of the passengers.
Two youths � Safed Ali and Ramjan Ali told this correspondent that they jumped into the water and recovered all the five bodies from the pond. A team of SDRF started a rescue operation but no more bodies could be found so far.
Nalbari Deputy Commissioner Sanjib Kumar Das said the district administration has extended all possible help in the rescue operation and will also conduct an inquiry into the incident.
The local people alleged that the deplorable condition of the road is the main reason behind this tragic accident.
Some of the injured persons who are now undergoing treatment at different hospitals have been identified as Rabin Kalita, Biren Das, Nihar Pathak, Koushik Das, Kushal Das, Kamini Das, Jiban Haloi, Elechini Khatun, Kuldip Kakati and Sahab Ali.
