Itanagar In a shocking incident from a remote part of Arunachal Pradesh, a truck carrying 22 labourers plunged into a deep gorge, killing 19 people from Assam’s Tinsukia district. Three others remain missing. The tragic accident went unnoticed for nearly two days until the only survivor, severely injured, regained consciousness and managed to reach an Army camp to report the disaster.
No Trace for Two Days
The accident occurred on Monday night when the truck, travelling through the isolated Huyuliang–Chaglagam road in Anjaw district near the China border, lost control and fell into a steep valley. Due to the remoteness of the area and lack of communication, no information about the crash surfaced for almost 48 hours.
According to Defence Ministry PRO Lt Col Mahendra Rawat, the devastating incident came to light only after the lone survivor — who had remained unconscious among dead bodies — miraculously woke up.
Survivor’s 4 km Trek for Help
Officials said the man crawled out of the debris late Wednesday night, climbed nearly 300 meters uphill and then walked 4 km to reach a nearby BRO (Border Roads Organisation) camp. Barely conscious and injured, he informed soldiers about the tragedy — bringing the massive disaster to public attention.
He is the only known surviving passenger among the 22 onboard.
Hours-Long Search and Rescue Effort
Following the survivor’s alert, Army, police and NDRF teams launched a major search operation. By Thursday evening, 19 bodies had been located in the gorge. All victims were labourers from Assam being transported to a worksite near the China border.
Rescue teams are still searching for the remaining two missing labourers.
Officials said they are unsure whether the survivor included the truck driver in the count of 22 people.
Survivor Shifted to Assam Medical College
The lone survivor, critically injured, was airlifted to Assam Medical College and Hospital in Dibrugarh, located around 260 km from Huyuliang.
Bodies Yet to Be Retrieved
Anjaw district disaster management officer Nang Chingni Choupu said the bodies have been traced but not yet recovered. Army teams climbed down the gorge using ropes but lacked specialised equipment required to lift the bodies.
To assist in the operation, an NDRF team from Dibrugarh is being flown in with advanced recovery tools.
A Heartbreaking Reminder of Northeast’s Remote Terrain
The tragedy highlights the challenges of transportation and emergency response in remote border areas of Arunachal Pradesh, where communication is limited and terrain is treacherous.