Two persons, including a child, were killed and 40 others injured when the bus they were travelling in overturned in Assam's Kamrup district on Wednesday, 8 August, police said, reported PTI.
The passengers, residents of Kamrup’s Chhaygaon, said that they were returning from a National Register of Citizens (NRC) hearing in eastern Assam’s Golaghat district.
As per PTI, officer-in-charge of Chhaygaon Police Station Rupam Hazarika said, "The bus hit a roadside tree on NH 17 in the wee hours of Wednesday, resulting in death of two people and injuries to 40 others.”
Hazarika further said that out of the injured, condition of 13 people was serious and they had been admitted to the Guwahati Medical College and Hospital. The deceased have been identified as Chhaymur Nessa and Arjuma Begum, he said.
The passengers claimed that they were asked to get their documents re-verified within 24 to 48 hours upon receiving the notices, at a location over 300 km away from their residences.
The incident comes three days after passengers travelling in a bus from Kamrup's Sontoli to Golaghat district to submit their documents for re-verification met with an accident in Guwahati's Khanapara area on Sunday, 4 August.
Two More Deaths Were Reported
Meanwhile, 60-year-old Rezia Khatun who was from Kamrup’s Dekachang village, while her hearing was going on in Kaliabor on Monday, 5 August, had complained of not feeling fine, The Indian Express reported. She was later brought dead at Nagaon district hospital. However, according to the police, the reason for her death is yet to be known, added the report.
Further, on Tuesday, another incident took place when a camper vehicle overturned in Asalpara village, The Indian Express reported. 65-year-old Hanif Ali died in the incident which took place nearly 10 km away from where he lived. Hanif and his family had hired the vehicle while they were on their way back from Charaideo district, added the report.
The notices for re-verification of documents had reached people on Saturday and Sunday, asking them to report on Monday to the NRC centres mentioned in the summon notices. Opposition Congress and the Forum Against Citizenship Act Amendment Bill have demanded that adequate time be given to the people to submit their documents.
(With inputs from PTI and The Indian Express)
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