Dumper hits car carrying Assam excise officials, 3 killed

Two officials of the Excise Department and a policeman were killed and four others injured when the vehicle carrying them collided with a dumper in Assam's Golaghat district on Wednesday.

Golaghat (Assam): In an unfortunate incident, three excise officials from Assam died following a major accident along National Highway 39 on Wednesday.

The excise department team was returning to Guwahati after conducting a probe here into an illicit liquor trade allegedly operated from neighbouring Arunachal Pradesh.

Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal ordered an enquiry into the accident that took place on NH-39 near the oil town of Numaligarh on Wednesday night.

Following the collision, the vehicle burst into flames killing Excise Inspector Sumu Maibongsa, Sub-Inspector Ramen Bonjang and the police constable on the spot, the officials said.

Three other excise officials and the driver of the vehicle were hospitalised. The driver of the dumper had fled from the scene after the accident but the police arrested him later.

Family members of the officials alleged that the accident was "pre-planned" and one person involved in the illegal liquor trade was behind it.

Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal ordered an enquiry into the accident by Upper Assam Division Commissioner Julie Sonowal, said Excise Minister Parimal Suklabaidya.

Suklabaidya, who visited the injured in the hospital, said the government will bear their medical expenses.