Arunachal Truck Plunges into 700m Gorge, 18 Labourers Feared Dead
Arunachal Truck Plunges into 700m Gorge, 18 Labourers Feared Dead
A truck carrying 22 labourers from Assam skidded off a narrow mountain road in Arunachal Pradesh’s Anjaw district and plunged into a 700-metre gorge near Metengliang as rescue teams race to reach them.
Itanagar: A truck carrying 22 labourers from Assam’s Tinsukia district skidded off a narrow mountain road and plunged nearly 700 metres into a gorge near Metengliang in Arunachal Pradesh’s Anjaw district, triggering a large-scale rescue operation. Preliminary details indicate the accident occurred on December 8, around 8-9 pm, about 11 km from Chaglagam, where the workers were engaged in construction work near the India-China border. The group had left Tinsukia on December 7 and was expected to return by December 10; when they did not show up, alarms were raised by their colleagues at Hayuliang police station.
An injured man, Budheswor Deep, appeared at a Border Roads Task Force camp and claimed that 21 others were on board when the truck crashed. He was given first aid and later shifted to Assam via Tezu for further treatment. With no mobile connectivity in the rugged region, news of the tragedy took time to surface, delaying initial reporting. The Indian Army’s Spear Corps, along with GREF personnel, local police, and NDRF teams, launched a major search and rescue operation. After hours of rope descent and medical teams being deployed, rescuers located the wreckage about 200 metres below the road, hidden by dense forest cover.
As of the morning, authorities reported that 18 bodies had been recovered, with three others still missing. Earlier, a survivor had suggested that as many as 21 people could have been on board, underscoring the confusion in the immediate aftermath. The rugged terrain and limited connectivity in the area have complicated rescue efforts, but the operation continues with multiple rescue columns, medical teams, and local administration coordinating closely. The injured survivor and others are being treated and evacuated as available routes allow.
Officials from the Anjaw district administration, Border Roads Organisation and defence forces emphasised the need for a thorough investigation to determine the exact cause of the accident and to address the safety measures for labour transport in such challenging terrain. The incident highlights the perils faced by workers in remote border areas and the ongoing challenges of disaster response in sparsely connected regions.
Cover image source: At least 14 from Assam killed, seven others missing as truck falls into gorge in Arunachal 🔗
