GUWAHATI: A popular Bihu dancer was killed and 11 members of her troupe were injured in a head-on collision between a minibus and a trailer truck in Assam’s Tamulpur district, police said on Saturday.
The deceased, Neshamoni Halui, was traveling with the band to attend a Bihu performance in a nearby area when the accident occurred in the Nawakhata area on Friday evening.
Police said that Nshamoni died on the spot, while 11 others from the group were injured.
There were about 30 people in the car, including male and female dancers and other artists. The band included members from different states of the country.
“The seriously injured have been sent to Guwahati Medical College and Hospital, while the rest are undergoing treatment at the local hospital,” police said.
The death of the 25-year-old dancer has cast a pall of gloom over the area, where Nashamuni had become a famous Bihu dancer as well as a traditional performer of ‘Nagara Naam’.
The police said that the body will be handed over to the family after examination.
They added: “We are trying to confirm the cause of the accident.”
Condolences over the death, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma wrote in a social media post: “I am saddened to receive this sad news in the morning. Bhaskarjyoti Bihu Hosuri’s team from Haribhanga in Nalbari district met with the fatal accident at Nawakhata in Tamulpur. The team’s lead dancer and popular Nishamoni Halui ‘Nagara Naam’ was killed in the accident.”
With Nashamuni’s death, an up-and-coming artist has been nipped in the bud, Sarma said.
He prayed for the soul of the departed and wished speedy recovery for the injured band members.
The Prime Minister added: “My sincere condolences to the families of the victims.”
Rongali Bihu events are being organized across the state, marking the Assamese New Year celebrations from mid-April.
