Three youths, including a 14 year boy, died in a fatal road accident after it is claimed the motorcycle they were riding crashed into an oncoming van in Tamulpur district of Assam on Thursday night.
Police say the accident happened around 10 PM on a newly built roadway in the Kaurbaha area. The victims were identified as Sultan Ali (21), Majarul Sultan (18) and Zubair Hussain (14), who were related to each other and living in Chirakhundi village.
Initial investigations show that the motorcycle was doing high speed driving before it hit the van. Police were told by locals that the three victims were riding a single motorcycle, known as triple-riding. The accident took a heavy toll: all three riders were killed at the scene.
The police said that no one was wearing helmets during the crash. Police are also looking to see if the bicyclists had permission to ride. The bodies were sent for post mortem, family was informed about the incident.
The van driver stayed in the area and was cooperative. The driver said he tried to avoid the crash but didn’t have enough time to brake.
Residents express concern about increasing number of reckless drivers on the newly built road. They stated several minor accidents that have taken place in the area in recent months, especially at night.
This incident brings back to focus the ongoing issue with regard to road safety in Assam. Every year between 2,700 and 3,000 persons are killed in road accidents in the state, government statistics show with approximately 15,000 killed between 2020 and 2024.