At least 9 people were killed in a major road accident in eastern Assam’s Sivasagar district on Monday.

The accident took place at Thawra Dol in Demow of the district along National Highway 37.

An official statement issued from the Sivasagar district administration stated that nine people have died and another 12 have been injured in the accident.

The accident took place when an Ultra bus on way to Dibrugarh collided head-on with a Traveller coming from Tinsukia en route to Jorhat.

The front portion of the Traveller was completely ravaged in the impact.

Though the locals immediately took the injured to nearby Demow Model Hospital, another seven of them succumbed to their injuries.

Another eight of the injured passengers have been rushed to Dibrugarh Medical College and Hospital.

Among them, the condition of seven passengers is stated to be serious.

Police are yet to identify the dead passengers.

Police fear the casualty figure might increase.

The Ultra bus bore registration number AS-05-C-5999 and the Traveller had the registration number AS-23-BC-6878.

The impact was so massive that the Traveller vehicle was thrown off-road to a deep gorge on the roadside.

It is learnt that both the vehicles were at high speed despite the incessant rain.

The driver of the Ultra bus had, however, escaped from the scene of the accident immediately after the incident.

Meanwhile, Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal has expressed grief over the tragic accident.

Sonowal has also prayed for eternal peace of the departed souls.

The chief minister also directed the Sivasagar district administration to provide urgent medical attention to those injured in the accident.