36 killed in two road mishaps in Assam

Guwahati/Golaghat, May 31 (PTI) Thirty-six people were
killed and 17 others injured in two road mishaps in the
northeastern Indian state of Assam where a bus carrying a
marriage party fell into a pond and an oil tanker caught fire
on Tuesday morning.
31 passengers, including 12 women, were killed and six
persons critically injured when a bus carrying a marriage
party fell into a pond in Kamrup (Rural) district Monday
night.
The bus travelling from Guwahati to Dihu in Rangia
sub-division of the district, fell into the 40 ft deep pond at
Rajabari when a wooden bridge it was crossing gave in.
Among the killed were the bridegroom Naba Kumar Sarma,
his parents and friends. Three children were also among the
victims, police said.
Six passengers were rescued and admitted to Mukundo
Kakoti Civil hospital in neighbouring Nalbari district, the
police said. The condition of the patients was critical,
The bus was taken out of the pond by the police with
the help of locals and Army personnel.
In the second accident, five persons were charred to
death and 12 others injured when an overturned oil tanker they
were collecting oil from burst into flames in Badulipara in
Golaghat district early Tuesday morning.
The tanker going to Jorhat overturned at Badulipura
and soon some nearby locals gathered at the spot to collect
fuel. When they were taking out the oil, an overhead wire
fell on the tanker which burst into flames, police said.
The locals collecting the fuel were trapped in the
blaze, police said, adding five persons were charred to death.
12 of the injured have been admitted to separate
hospitals in the district.
Some nearby houses were also damaged in the fire.
Fire brigade was rushed to the spot but it had a
difficult time controlling the blaze. Authorities then sent
fire tankers from the Numaligarah Refinery to douse the fire
which has been now brought under control.
Meanwhile, locals in Kamrup were upset with the late
arrival of the National Disaster Rescue Force. The Force,
which arrived at the spot at 6 AM, was sent back by them.
Sources of the rescue force said they could not start
rescue operations at night due to the non-availability of
night vision equipment.
Rubbishing the claims, the locals said they had rushed
to the spot with lanterns and fished out the bodies from the
pond and managed to save the lives of six passengers.
The locals were also vocal about the poor maintenance
of the bridge which had no side railings. Coming down heavily
on the PWD authorities for not repairing the bridge, they said
a similar accident had occurred on the bridge 5 years ago in
which 12 people were killed.