Guwahati, November 12: A family of four, including a child, lost their lives after their four-wheeler plunged into a roadside water body on the Dibrugarh-Tinsukia bypass in the early hours of Tuesday.
A woman and a young girl, who were also in the vehicle, sustained injuries and are currently receiving treatment. The deceased have been identified as Mohan Shah and Montu Shah from Bordubi, Assam, and Artha Gupta and Rajesh Gupta from Bihar. The bodies have been sent to Tinsukia Civil Hospital for autopsies.
Eyewitnesses and preliminary police reports indicate that the car collided with a structure near a pool at Panitola before veering off the road and into a water-filled ditch.
According to a family member, the relatives from Bihar had arrived at Dibrugarh railway station on Tuesday night. They had come to Assam for the wedding of Mohan’s daughter, scheduled for November 16. Mohan and his son Montu had gone to receive them, and the family was on their way to Bordubi when the accident took place. “My elder brother, brother-in-law, and two nephews, including seven-year-old Artha, died instantly,” the family member told local media.
"We are uncertain if proper safety measures were implemented around the pool area,” he added.
Locals noted that the particular spot has been a site for numerous accidents, largely due to potholes left from ongoing bypass road construction. Although a culvert was installed at the location, incomplete construction around it seems to be contributing to these incidents, they observed.