2 killed, 40 hurt in accident on way back from NRC hearing in Assam

Two persons, including a child, were killed and 40 others injured when the bus they were travelling in overturned in Assam's Kamrup district on Wednesday, police said.

The passengers, residents of Kamrup's Chhaygaon, said they were returning from a National Register of Citizens (NRC) hearing in eastern Assam's Golaghat district.

"The bus hit a roadside tree on NH 17 in the wee hours of Wednesday, resulting in death of two people and injuries to 40 others," Officer-in-Charge of Chhaygaon Police Station, Rupam Hazarika, said.

Of the injured, condition of 13 people is serious and they have been admitted to the Gauhati Medical College and Hospital, Hazarika said.

The deceased are Chhaymur Nessa and Arjuma Begum, he said.

The passengers claimed they were asked to get their documents re-verified within 24 to 48 hours upon receiving the notices, at a location over 300 km away from their residences.

The incident comes three days after passengers travelling in a bus from Kamrup's Sontoli to Golaghat district to submit their documents for re-verification met with an accident in Guwahati's Khanapara area on August 4.

The notices for re-verification of documents reached people on Saturday and Sunday, asking them to report on Monday to the NRC centres mentioned in the summon notices.

Opposition Congress and the Forum Against Citizenship Act Amendment Bill have demanded that adequate time be given to the people to submit their documents.