Guwahati: A college student in her 20s died and another was injured after a dried-up tree fell on their scooter in the city on Friday. The deceased woman, Parishmita Hazarika, and her friend Jyotirmoy Mahan were on their way to appear for an examination when the accident took place. Both students hail from Sonari in Charaideo district.
Incident Details
The incident took place around 10.30am on Friday in the Kalipur area, near the Bhootnath Crematorium. A tree, decaying at the roots, fell on the scooter, which Mahan was riding with Parishmita as a pillion. People present nearby rushed the duo to a private hospital, where the doctors declared the girl dead on arrival.
Dr B Choudhury said, “The girl had several injuries, including severe spine injury. The boy is currently receiving treatment.”
Forest Department Response
Ashok Kumar Devchoudhury, divisional forest officer of Kamrup East division, said, “Trees with decaying roots may fall even if there is no storm. The tree that caused the accident might have been standing there for a long time, but its roots may have been rotting away.” He added that monitoring such trees is not under the forest department’s jurisdiction.
Witness Account
J Boro, who witnessed the accident, said he has seen the dried-up tree standing at that location for over three years. “I was about 100 m away from the accident spot when the tree fell on the scooter. When I reached the spot, I saw that the girl was barely breathing and the boy was severely injured. We sent them to a nearby hospital. However, we later got to know that the girl was declared dead.”
Student Union Demand
All Assam Students’ Union president Utpal Sarma said, “Calling Parismita’s death an unfortunate incident would be unjust; it was a tragic outcome of the gross negligence of certain irresponsible officials and staff.” Sarma demanded an investigation and “punishment for govt officials, whose negligence led to the girl’s death”. “Govt should ensure proper treatment for the injured and provide compensation. Parismita’s family, too, must be compensated,” he added.
