Full Breakdown
Deadly Head-On Collision on NH-15 Claims Five Lives in Assam
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The Collision
On September 12, 2026, a Maruti Suzuki Eeco van traveling from Tezpur to Rangapara collided head-on with a commercial truck on National Highway 15 in the Balipara area of Sonitpur district, Assam. Police said the impact occurred near a petrol pump under the Rangapara Police Station limits. The crash left five occupants of the van dead.
Victims and Ongoing Inquiry
The deceased were identified as residents of the Ghoramari Batabari locality: Har Gobinda Hajoari (or Harobinda Hazoary), Nayan Swargiary, Pappu Bora, Pranjal Bania and Sanjay Mech, all aged between 38 and 45. Senior Superintendent of Police Barun Purkayastha reported that the van appears to have lost control and crossed into the opposite lane before striking the truck. The truck driver fled the scene and has not yet been located. Both vehicles were seized for forensic examination, and the bodies were sent to Sonitpur Civil Hospital for post-mortem analysis.
Road-Safety Landscape in Assam
State authorities note that roughly 4,000 road accidents have been recorded in Assam this year, resulting in deaths numbering in the hundreds. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has highlighted recent government measures aimed at reducing fatalities, though the high accident count underscores ongoing safety challenges on the state’s highways.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
Sources differ on the spelling of the first victim’s name—Hindustan Times lists “Harobinda Hazoary,” while The Hindu, ThePrint and IndiaTimes use “Har Gobinda Hajoari.” The Hindustan Times account also specifies the crash time as about 11:30 p.m. on Friday night, whereas The Hindu references only the date of the incident. Police have not yet identified the truck driver, and the precise cause of the van’s loss of control remains under investigation.
Related Incident on the Same Day
Police also reported a separate road fatality in Biswanath district, where two motorcyclists—Rupam Das and Gajendra Malah—were killed after their speeding bike struck a tree near Kachmari, Behali. Their bodies were likewise sent for post-mortem examination.