The death toll from a devastating collision between an overcrowded tea estate ambulance and a night bus in Tinsukia district on November 25, has risen to five, sparking massive protests and allegations of criminal negligence against the management of Powai Tea Estate.
Kamal Tanti, 32, a tea garden worker, succumbed to his injuries at the Assam Medical College and Hospital (AMCH) early Friday. He is the fifth victim of the head-on collision that occurred on NH-37 in the Hukanpukhuri area on the Tinsukia-Makum stretch on November 25.
The ambulance, ferrying 15 people—12 patients, two attendants, and a driver—to AMCH, was critically overcrowded. The earlier fatalities included garden employee Gobin Bhuyan (55), his wife Minju Bhuyan (50), who died on the spot, Kumar Chetri (56), and Anju Moni Kalita (38). Ten injured, including the driver, remain hospitalised.
The rising toll ignited fury, with the Assam Tea Tribes Students’ Association (ATTSA) staging a protest that halted work at the estate. Protestors accused the management of gross negligence for packing the ambulance.
ATTSA Tinsukia district general secretary Dulen Kurmi led the demonstration, demanding accountability. “Why were 15 persons, including 12 patients, being carried in one ambulance? This is criminal negligence. We demand strict action against the medical officer responsible and adequate compensation and employment for the victims’ families,” Kurmi said.
The protest brought operations at the tea garden to a complete halt for the day, as workers joined in solidarity with the victims’ families.
