New Delhi/Itanagar, Dec 11 (IANS) Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday expressed grief over a deadly accident in Arunachal Pradesh in which a truck carrying around 22 workers from Assam fell off a deep gorge in a remote and difficult terrain in neighbouring Arunachal Pradesh.

Defence spokesman Lt Col Mahendra Rawat said that 18 bodies have been sighted by the rescue teams and are being retrieved using belay ropes. Gandhi in a post on his X handle said: “The news of the death of several Assamese labourers due to a truck overturning into a gorge in Arunachal Pradesh is extremely heartbreaking. I extend my deepest condolences to their bereaved families. With the hope that those who are missing are found at the earliest, I pray for the swift recovery of the injured.”

Earlier on Thursday, President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed sorrow over the fatal mishap in Arunachal Pradesh’s Anjaw district on December 8.

The Prime Minister also announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF) for the next of kin of each deceased. The injured would be given Rs 50,000.

The mishap reportedly took place on Hayuliang-Chaglagam Road in Anjaw district in eastern Arunachal Pradesh on December 8 when the truck was carrying 22 labourers from Assam.

Defence spokesman Lt Col Mahendra Rawat said that the Indian Army has launched a major search and rescue operation in the Chaglagam region of Arunachal Pradesh.

The operations were initiated based on information received late on Wednesday (December 10) regarding a vehicle accident along the Hayuliang–Chaglagam road.

He said that the preliminary inputs from the lone survivor, who managed to reach Chipra GREF Camp, indicate that a truck carrying 22 workers from Tinsukia in Assam fell off a cliff on the night of December 8.

The accident site, approximately 12 km short of Chaglagam, lies in difficult terrain with limited connectivity and had not been reported by any local agency, contractor or civil representative until a survivor’s arrival.

On Thursday, Spear Corps of the Army mobilised multiple search and rescue columns, medical teams, GREF representatives, local police, NDRF personnel and the ADC Hayuliang.

After four hours of intensive search and rope descent, the truck was spotted around 200 metres below the road in a re-entrant, inaccessible and not visible from helicopters or the road due to dense tree cover and thick foliage.

Eighteen bodies have been sighted and are being retrieved using belay ropes.

ADC Hayuliang has informed the Superintendent of Police, Anjaw district, who has reached the site, while the District Medical Officer is moving to facilitate the evacuation of casualties and mortal remains.

SDRF, requisitioned by the Deputy Commissioner, is en route. ADC Hayuliang is also questioning the sub-contractor of the Zila Parishad Member, Chaglagam, to verify the antecedents and exact strength of the workers hired.

Despite harsh terrain and poor visibility, the Indian Army, in coordination with civil administration and other agencies, is making all possible efforts to trace the remaining individuals and provide immediate assistance.

–IANS

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