Guwahati : Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday said that a possible medical emergency suffered by the driver could have been one of the reasons behind the horrific Kaziranga road accident in which 26 people were killed, while expressing concern over the increasing number of road mishaps in the state. Speaking to reporters, Sarma said preliminary observations suggested that the driver might have suffered a heart attack, stroke or another sudden health complication, leading to a loss of control over the vehicle. “The manner in which the accident took place raises questions about whether the driver suffered a sudden medical condition. It could have been a heart attack, a stroke or even a sudden drop in blood sugar,” the Chief Minister said.

He, however, added that the exact cause would be known only after a detailed investigation and medical examination. Sarma also pointed to alleged overloading of the vehicle, saying that it was carrying significantly more passengers than its permitted capacity. According to the Chief Minister, while the vehicle had seating capacity for around 26 passengers, nearly 40 people were reportedly travelling in it. The Chief Minister said the video footage of the incident, if verified, appeared to indicate that the driver had suddenly lost control of the steering. “If the vehicle had not collided with another vehicle, it could have gone off the road after the driver lost control,” he said.

Referring to the growing number of road accidents in Assam, Sarma said the state government would have to take stricter measures to improve road safety and enforce traffic regulations. He noted that earlier attempts to tighten traffic rules had sometimes drawn public criticism and political pressure, forcing the government to reconsider certain decisions. “However, we cannot ignore the larger problem. The increasing number of road accidents is a serious concern, and traffic regulations will have to be enforced more strictly,” the Chief Minister said. He added that the Kaziranga tragedy should serve as a reminder of the need for greater road safety, better enforcement and responsible driving across Assam.

On November 14, Mumbai Police received confidential information that an individual was planning to arrive at a lc and ammunition without a valid license. Acting on this intelligence, a team from Crime Branch Unit 2 set a trap. Upon observing suspicious activity at a spot on K.K. Marg, Agripada, they took an individual into custody. Two locally-made pistols and 19 live cartridges were recovered from his possession. A case has been registered against him at the Agripada Police Station, and further investigation is being conducted by Mumbai Crime Branch Unit 2. This successful operation was carried out under the guidance of Mumbai Police Commissioner Deven Bharti, Joint Police Commissioner Anil Kumbhare, and DCP Raj Tilak Roshan.

New Delhi : Air India on Saturday advised passengers to check the latest status of their flights and plan their journey to the airport accordingly, amid massive disruption at the US airports. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) lifted a nationwide ground stop that had halted departures at US airports after a communications failure, though airlines warned that disruption and cancellations could continue.

“A nationwide ground stop is currently in effect across the US due to communication outages affecting air traffic operations. As a result, departures from airports across US are impacted, with possible consequential disruptions to Air India flights to and from the US,” Air India said in a statement posted on X. “Our teams continue to closely monitor the situation and will share updates as available,” it added. The cancellation of US flights happened after a communications problem affected air traffic operations. The notice announcing the cancellation did not specify the cause of the failure or say that airline schedules had returned to normal.

Earlier, the FAA’s Air Traffic Control System Command Center said the ground stop remained in effect across a large portion of the country, although some coastal facilities had been able to release international departures. In an update, American Airlines said some flights from certain airports were beginning to receive clearance to depart. At that point, most departures remained paused, and the airline expected further disruption, including unavoidable cancellations. American advised customers to check their flight status and review its travel alert for options. Its warning was issued before the FAA’s cancellation advisory. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin told reporters earlier that officials had acted as a precaution following a telecommunications outage affecting the FAA. “There is no indication as of yet that this was a nefarious attack,” he said at the time. That preliminary assessment did not rule out a cyberattack.