Catastrophic Truck Accident in Arunachal Claims Lives of 21 Labourers

Post by : Raina Nasser

A devastating truck accident in Arunachal Pradesh's Anjaw district has resulted in the tragic deaths of twenty-one labourers who fell into a deep gorge near Metengliang. The accident, which took place on December 8, went unnoticed for almost two days due to the region's difficult accessibility and lack of mobile network coverage. It was only revealed after the sole survivor reached a Border Roads Task Force campsite and notified the authorities.

Officials reported that the group of twenty-two labourers departed from Tinsukia district in Assam on December 7, heading to Chaglagam for construction work. When they failed to arrive by December 10, their colleagues filed a missing persons report at Hayuliang police station, initiating a search effort.

Anjaw superintendent of police Anurag Dwivedi noted that the turning point in the investigation occurred when it was disclosed that an injured individual had arrived at a local camp, revealing that the truck carrying him and twenty-one others had fallen off a perilous mountain road. He received prompt medical attention before being transferred to Assam for further treatment.

Preliminary assessments indicate that the truck veered off the route between 8 pm and 9 pm on December 8, approximately 11 kilometres from Chaglagam. It is believed that the vehicle lost traction on the steep road, crashing nearly 700 metres into a ravine. Due to the area's lack of mobile service, the accident was not reported until the survivor sought assistance.

Following his account, search teams comprising Indian Army members, the Border Roads Organisation, local police, and district officials were dispatched to locate the victims. A unit of the National Disaster Response Force has also been called in to aid in the search operations. So far, seventeen bodies have been recovered, with search efforts continuing in particularly challenging terrain.

Deputy superintendent of police Habung Sama stated that the incident is being treated as a tragic accident, cautioning that search and recovery operations will be prolonged due to the hazardous environment and depth of the gorge. Authorities confirmed that eighteen of the twenty-two deceased labourers hailed from the Gilapukhuri Tea Estate in Assam’s Tinsukia district.

This unfortunate incident has once again underscored the perils of traversing remote mountainous regions during the winter, where narrow roads and limited visibility present constant dangers. Officials intend to conduct a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding the fatal accident.