Guwahati road accident: Forensic team visits spot, collects evidence where 7 students died

Guwahati: A team of forensic specialists from Delhi on Tuesday reached the accident spot where seven students of Assam Engineering College (AEC) lost their lives in Jalukbari area of the district.

According to police, the team is closely investigating and gathering evidence from the two vehicles that were involved in the collision, which killed seven students and left six others injured.

Meanwhile, the Assam Engineering College authority has constituted a 10-member committee to conduct an inquiry on the accident. The students were residing in hostel number 7 of the college. The warden of the hostel was suspended following the incident, which took place early on Monday morning.

The parents of the deceased students blamed the authorities for the road mishap and questioning as to how the students could leave the hostel in an unearthly hour.

State Education Minister Ranoj Pegu said that the Assam Higher Education department has sought a report from the Director of Technical Education and the Principal of the college on the circumstances that led to the tragedy.

"The department is working on rules to be enforced in institution campuses," he added. Notably, the accident took place around 2 a.m. on Monday morning when an SUV carrying ten students of the engineering college lost control, crossed over a divider on the road and crashed into an oncoming pick-up van.

The accident happened at the Jalukbari flyover road of the city. While seven students immediately died on the spot, three others were brought to Guwahati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) in a critical condition. Another three persons who were in the pick-up van which was hit by the scorpio vehicle carrying the students, were also admitted to GMCH in a critical condition.