At least 12 people, including college students, died in a head-on collision between a minibus and a container truck near Kaziranga National Park in Assam on Friday.
The accident occurred at Rangajan near Hathikuli Tea Estate in Kohora range on National Highway 715 when the passenger vehicle collided with the truck, a senior police officer said.
"We have just got information from the hospital that 12 people have died. Several others were being taken to Kohora Model Hospital. The toll is likely to rise," he said.
Some media reports claim that the death toll may have gone up to 20.
Many of the deceased were college students returning from the classes when the accident happened.
The minibus was going from Jorhat to Nagaon, while the container truck was going towards Upper Assam, the police said.
Earlier, Golaghat Senior Superintendent of Police Swapnaneel Deka told news agency PTI that all senior civil and police officials have rushed to the spot to help those engaged in relief and rescue operations.
While the exact number of people who were travelling in the bus wasn't immediately known, reports suggest that there may have been more than 35 passengers.
Local media reports, quoting eyewitnesses, said the impact of the collision was so severe that some of the passengers were thrown out of the minibus.
Assam Panchayat and Rural Development Minister Atul Bora, who is also the local MLA, reached the site immediately and was supervising the relief and rescue operations.
The injured were taken to the Kohora Model Hospital, and most of the critically injured were referred to hospitals in Bokakhat and Golaghat, and the Jorhat Medical College and Hospital, another senior police officer said.
"The bus was running at very high speed, violating restrictions imposed near the park. We suspect that the accident took place when the driver of the minibus lost control, and the vehicle collided with the container truck," he added.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, in a social media post, said the government’s priority is to make sure the injured receive the best possible medical care without delay, and that minister Bora is overseeing the relief arrangements.
“I am deeply distressed by the tragic accident in Kaziranga earlier today. The scale of this loss has shaken all of us, and my heart goes out to every family that has lost a loved one. No words can ease their pain, but I want them to know that they are not alone. All of Assam stands with them in this hour of grief,” he said in a tweet.
—With PTI inputs
