The death toll in the head-on collision between a passenger vehicle (Traveller) and a truck on National Highway-27 at Tetelia in Khetri near Guwahati on Sunday evening, has risen to seven even as several injured are undergoing treatment at Gauhati Medical College and Hospital and other hospitals.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma visited the site of the accident on Monday afternoon and took stock of the cause of the accident and the situation following the incident.
The Chief Minister directed the district administration to make immediate arrangements for repairing the damaged portions of the National Highway and the service road.
After inspecting the accident site, Sarma announced that financial assistance of Rs 5 lakh each would be provided to the next of kin of the seven persons who died in the accident.
He also stated that the injured persons undergoing treatment at Gauhati Medical College Hospital would be provided free medical treatment.
Sarma informed that preliminary police investigation has revealed that the accident occurred owing to potholes on the National Highway.
He said that the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) generally entrusts contractors with the responsibility of repairing the National Highway, and that, in this case, the contractor has failed to discharge the responsibility properly.
Stating that the chairman of NHAI had assured that the road would be repaired at the earliest, the chief minister said that the state government would take appropriate measures to prevent the recurrence of such accidents.
He informed that those found guilty in the police investigation into the accident would be brought under the purview of the law.
