Assam: Seven Killed in NH-27 Minibus-Truck Crash near Sonapur
A head-on collision near Tetelia killed seven people and injured several others, triggering protests over potholes and renewed scrutiny of maintenance on the Khanapara–Sonapur–Jagiroad stretch.
GUWAHATI- Seven people were killed and several others injured after a minibus collided head-on with a goods truck on National Highway-27 at Tetelia near Sonapur in Kamrup Metropolitan district on Sunday evening.
The crash has triggered renewed concerns over the condition of the highway, with Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma blaming poor maintenance by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) for the accident. The incident has also led to protests by local residents, who demanded repairs to the pothole-ridden highway and a temporary halt to toll collection.
According to police, the passenger vehicle was travelling from the Nagaon side towards Guwahati when it reportedly hit a large pothole. The driver allegedly lost control, crossed the median and collided with the oncoming goods truck.
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Although the minibus was a 26-seater vehicle, police said around 14 people, including the driver and helper, were travelling in it at the time of the accident. Four people died at the scene, while three others later succumbed to their injuries during treatment. Seven injured passengers were reported to be undergoing treatment at Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH).
No injuries were reported among occupants of the truck.
The deceased were identified by officials as Idris Ali, Anima Deka Bordoloi, Insan Ali, Tafazzul Ali, Gopal Das, Jyotika Ronghang and Prashanta Talukdar.
CM Holds NHAI Maintenance Responsible
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma visited the accident site at Tetelia on Monday and said the preliminary investigation pointed towards inadequate highway maintenance.
“The public claimed that potholes on the national highway caused this accident. The police, in its investigation, found that poor maintenance by the NHAI is responsible for this unfortunate accident,” Sarma told reporters.
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The Chief Minister said the state Chief Secretary had spoken to the NHAI chairman, who assured the government that immediate repairs would be undertaken and maintenance would be monitored more closely.
The Assam government has announced an ex-gratia payment of Rs 5 lakh to the family of each deceased person and free treatment for those injured. A police case has also been registered and the investigation is continuing.
Protests Follow Fatal Crash
The accident quickly turned into a wider public protest over road conditions.
Local residents blocked the highway for several hours and later gathered at the Sonapur/Nazirakhat toll gate, demanding that toll collection be stopped until the damaged stretch between Khanapara, Sonapur and Jagiroad is repaired.
Protesters alleged that potholes on the highway have contributed to repeated accidents and claimed that authorities had failed to adequately address earlier complaints about the road condition.
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Following the agitation, toll collection was reportedly suspended temporarily. Officials subsequently gave NHAI a seven-day deadline to repair potholes along the affected stretch, while contractors involved in the maintenance work are also facing scrutiny.
The protest has brought into focus a broader question surrounding highway safety: whether the collection of tolls can be justified when critical sections of a national highway remain hazardous for motorists.
Injured Remain Under Treatment
GMCH Principal Dr Babul Kumar Bezbaruah provided updates on the casualties and confirmed the identities of the seven deceased. The injured were being treated across orthopaedics, neurosurgery and intensive care units, with doctors reporting that several patients remained in critical condition.
There was no specific public statement from GMCH Medical College Superintendent Debajit Choudhury attributed to this accident.
The immediate focus remains on the treatment of the injured and the ongoing police investigation. At the same time, the government’s seven-day repair deadline places pressure on NHAI and its contractors to address the road defects identified by authorities and protesters.
The crash has therefore emerged not only as a fatal road accident but also as a fresh test of highway maintenance, contractor accountability and road-safety enforcement on one of Assam’s important transport corridors.
