Atleast 5 people died and over 35 others have been injured at a huge inferno which took place after an oil tanker met mishap on the National Highway 37 in Golaghat. The tragic incident took place at Bongaon in Badulipara on Tuesday wee hour where a huge inferno erupted when over 30 people gathered to collect crude immediately after the mishap of the oil tanker. Some of these people manage to flee immediately after an explosion which was followed by the huge inferno. Fire tenders from NRL are being deployed but the situation is yet to be brought under control.
Update: Tragedy struck NH37 in the wee hours of morning on 31st may, when an oil tanker, bearing registration no. AS-01/K-6257, from Tinsukia bound for Imphal crashed against an electric post at Bongaon under Komargaon Police Station in Golaghat Dist. As a consequence a high tension electric cable struck the OIL tanker. Sometimes later a group of local people gathered on the spot and started collecting the oil pouring out of the tanker paying a deaf ear to the repeated warnings of the police present at the spot. When electricity was resumed sometimes later, it set ablazed the tanker and the inferno engulfed the surrounding areas within a flicker leading to the loss of five human lives as well as three nearby situated hutments. The bodies were charred beyond recognition. Four victims have been identified so far, they were Mintu Barua (22), Paban Bora (42), Kunu Bhuyan (48), Rajib Bora (35) and one body is still unidentified. Nearly twenty peoples were also injured in the incident, they were rushed to Golaghat Civil Hospital, Assam Medical College, Dibrugarh and Jorhat Medical College. Among the injured the conditions of Prodip Charingia, Dulu Charingia and Moinul Haque are very critical.
The fire brigades from Bokakhat, Golaghat, Numaligarh Refinery Ltd and Dergaon took prompt action to bring the fire under control. The Bokakhat Fire Station played a laudable roll and was the first to respond to the emergency. It is worth mentioning that the Bongaon area had also earlier witnessed a number of such mishaps. But in today’s tragedy, it was the greed of the people for oil that drove them to the jaws of death.
SHILLONG, Mar 11: The Meghalaya government has postponed the elections to the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC) that were scheduled to be held on April 10, 2026, following violent clashes in West Garo Hills that left two people dead.
Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma announced the decision on Wednesday, saying the state government reviewed the prevailing law-and-order situation in the Garo Hills region before deciding to defer the polls.
The unrest erupted during the nomination process in Chibinang in West Garo Hills, where clashes broke out between groups supporting and opposing the participation of non-tribal candidates in the GHADC elections. Two persons were killed...
The Meghalaya High Court has set aside a controversial notification that made possession of a Scheduled Tribe (ST) certificate mandatory for candidates contesting the upcoming elections to the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC).
Delivering the judgment on March 10, Justice H. S. Thangkhiew ruled that the February 17, 2026 notification issued by the GHADC Executive Committee lacked legal authority and did not follow the procedure required under the Assam and Meghalaya Autonomous Districts (Constitution of District Councils) Rules, 1951.
The court observed that the notification effectively barred non-tribal voters and candidates from participating in the council elections...
TURA, Meghalaya – March 11, 2026: Tensions surrounding the upcoming elections to the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC), scheduled for April 10, have triggered violent clashes in the West Garo Hills district of Meghalaya, leaving two people dead and several others injured. The unrest has also resulted in widespread vandalism and arson in several areas of the district.
The tensions stem from a controversial notification requiring candidates contesting the council elections to possess valid Scheduled Tribe (ST) certificate documentation. The rule has effectively prevented many non-tribal residents—particularly Bengali-speaking Muslims living in the plains belt areas such as...
North East Affected Area Development Society (NEADS), a grassroots development organisation based in Jorhat working with people’s struggles and community development initiatives, observed International Women’s Day at Chumoni Chapori village under the Jhanjimukh area in Jorhat district on Sunday, bringing together local women, community leaders and youth to celebrate the achievements and contributions of women in society.
The programme was organized with the participation of women from riverine communities who shared their experiences, challenges and aspirations for greater social and economic empowerment. The event focused on raising awareness about women’s rights, gender equality and...
A significant milestone for literature from Northeast India has been marked with the publication of The Yellow Metaphor, a collection of poems by Assamese poet Jiban Narah, now released by Penguin Random House India.
The book is a translated anthology of Narah’s poetry and is considered a rare achievement for the region. It is reportedly the first translated poetry collection by a single poet from Northeast India to be published by Penguin, and among only a handful of works in a regional Indian language to receive such recognition from the global publishing house.
The Yellow Metaphor brings together 99 selected poems written over a span of 33 years, reflecting Narah’s long poetic...
Sivasagar, March 6: A meeting of organisations associated with the religious and intellectual affairs of the Tai-Ahom community was held on Thursday (March 5) at the public auditorium of Bakata Parijat Panchayat in Sivasagar district. The meeting was chaired by Jibeshwar Mohan Deva, founding principal of Tingkhang College.
Several prominent personalities attended the meeting, including Manaranjan Baruah, president of the Mohan-Deodhai-Bailung Sanmilan; Vidya Phukan, president of the Mohan-Deodhai-Bailung Pandit Parishad; former president of Phra-Lung-Moung Assam Golap Gohain; secretary Pranjal Mohan; noted Tai cultural researcher Kamal Jyoti Mohan; Tai-Ahom scholar Nripen Mohan;...
Guwahati, Feb 28: The Assam government’s decision to seek a 5 per cent stake in Oil India Limited (OIL) has triggered discussion on the State’s long-term approach to the oil and gas sector in the Northeast.
The proposal, under which Assam has sought a minority share in OIL — where the Government of India holds 56 per cent — will be examined by the Centre, Union Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma stated that the State is extending full cooperation to oil sector companies and urged that shares be allocated to Assam to support smoother functioning and stronger coordination.
Reacting to the development, Shantikam Hazarika — former Chairman of...
New Delhi, March 1: Concerns have been raised over the national HPV vaccination campaign launched on February 28, 2026, with a citizen questioning its scientific basis, operational preparedness, and public health prioritisation.
In a public statement, Donthi N. Reddy said that not a single state has published baseline data on cervical cancer incidence or HPV prevalence prior to the rollout. Without such baseline indicators, he argued, outcomes cannot be measured, and without measurable outcomes, the reported annual expenditure of ₹1,300 crore cannot be properly evaluated.
The campaign involves administration of the HPV vaccine Gardasil-4 to 14-year-old girls across the country, aiming...
North-East Affected Area Development Society (NEADS), a grassroots civil society organisation based in Jorhat, Assam, participated in the 13th Asia-Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development (APFSD), convened by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) from 24–27 February, 2026, at the United Nations Conference Centre in Bangkok.
Tirtha Prasad Saikia, Director of NEADS, represented the organisation at the Forum. He also participated in his capacity as the Constituency Focal Point for People Affected by Conflicts and Disasters and as a Regional Coordinating Committee Member of the Asia Pacific Regional CSO Engagement Mechanism (APRCEM).
During...
The Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) on Wednesday submitted a detailed “Chargesheet 2026” against the BJP-led Assam government, symbolically placing it before what it termed the “People’s Court of Assam.” The chargesheet targets the government headed by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, covering the period from May 10, 2021 to February 18, 2026.
In a press briefing in Guwahati, APCC leaders alleged large-scale corruption, economic mismanagement, constitutional violations, and failure to protect the rights of indigenous communities. The document lists 20 major charges, including the alleged operation of a “syndicate raj,” accumulation of illegal wealth, rising public debt, and...
Add new comment